With just one race in each chamber still pending, we know that in the 118th Congress, Republicans will control the House with a slim majority, and Democrats will hold the Senate with either 50 or 51 votes. Republicans will field new chairs for every House committee. On the Senate side, with Democrats maintaining control, there will be only minor changes to committee leadership.

Both chambers have elected their party leadership. In the House Republican conference, Republicans have nominated Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for Speaker of the House in a 188-31 vote, and have elected Steve Scalise (R-LA) for House Majority Leader, Tom Emmer (R-MN) for House Majority Whip, and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) for Republican Conference Chair. When the new Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2023, Mr. McCarthy must win a majority of the vote of the full House to be elected Speaker. Mr. McCarthy lost 31 votes in the Republican conference race for Speaker, and will have to win over the vast majority of these no votes to be elected by the full House in January. 

This week, House Democrats elected a new generation of leaders. Approved by acclamation, Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is the House Minority Leader, Katherine Clark (D-MA) is the House Minority Whip, and Pete Aguilar (D-CA) is the Democratic Caucus Chairman. Current House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) is moving into the position of Assistant Democratic Leader, the #4 leadership spot in the House Democratic Caucus. Democrats also named Nancy Pelosi “Speaker Emerita,” a role with no formal responsibilities but one in which Pelosi is expected to advise the new Democratic leadership.

There will not be any changes to senior caucus leadership in the Senate. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will continue as Majority Leader and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) will continue as Majority Whip. Meanwhile, Senator Mitch McConnell will remain Minority Leader and Senator John Thune (D-SD) will remain Minority Whip. With Senator Patrick Leahy’s (D-VT) retirement, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) will assume the position of President Pro Tempore of the Senate, placing her third in line in the presidential succession. 

In this chart, we set out likely and possible committee leadership scenarios for both chambers, based on public and nonpublic information sources, precedents, political dynamics, and the rules of each chamber and caucus. We also provide a brief preview of each committees’ priorities for the next two years.

************

Brian Smith, Ed McClellan, Stephanie Barna, Nicholas Xenakis, Kait Demers, Hensey Fenton, and Morgan Schreurs assisted in preparing this blog post.

. 

Print:
Email this postTweet this postLike this postShare this post on LinkedIn
Photo of Alex Thomson Alex Thomson

Alex Thomson is an associate in the firm’s Washington, DC office and is a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations and Institutional Culture and Social Responsibility Practice Groups. He has extensive experience conducting civil rights and racial equity assessments for leading…

Alex Thomson is an associate in the firm’s Washington, DC office and is a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations and Institutional Culture and Social Responsibility Practice Groups. He has extensive experience conducting civil rights and racial equity assessments for leading corporations, investigating workplace cultural issues including reports of misconduct, harassment, and discrimination, and advising clients on the lawful design and implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion processes and practices.

Alex also advises clients responding to high-profile investigations before the Department of Justice that entail significant legal and reputational risks. His practice focuses on white collar criminal defense and government and internal investigations.

Alex serves on the Board of Directors for the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the leading global Jewish humanitarian organization. Prior to joining Covington, Alex served as a law clerk to the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary and was a fundraiser for the Jewish Federation of Boston. He also has served on national finance committees for two presidential campaigns.

Read more about Alex ThomsonEmail
Show more Show less
Photo of Gabe Neville Gabe Neville

Gabe Neville, a non-lawyer, helps Covington’s clients navigate the complexities of federal policymaking.

Gabe helps clients in various sectors understand individual policymakers and the legislative and regulatory tools they can use to advance their agendas. Using an intimate knowledge of the government gained…

Gabe Neville, a non-lawyer, helps Covington’s clients navigate the complexities of federal policymaking.

Gabe helps clients in various sectors understand individual policymakers and the legislative and regulatory tools they can use to advance their agendas. Using an intimate knowledge of the government gained over a nearly twenty-year period as a Congressional staffer, he helps clients proactively engage the legislative and executive branches of government. He also advises clients on responding to congressional inquiries and invitations to testify.

Gabe joined Covington after nearly two decades as a senior congressional staffer, most recently serving as chief of staff for Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Pitts (R, PA-16). He previously worked for the Pennsylvania state legislature, and managed several successful political campaigns. After managing Congressman Pitts’ first campaign for Congress, he served the congressman as press secretary and then as chief of staff. In that role, he advised the congressman on a wide range of issues, with special attention to the range of health, energy, and telecommunications issues that come before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Other issues Gabe engaged in range from agriculture to human rights.

As chief of staff to a leading conservative, Gabe also developed deep relationships within the conservative movement. He frequently chaired meetings of the Values Action Team (VAT) and attended meetings of the Republican Study Committee (RSC). Gabe continues to work with these and other right-of-center organizations in Congress, including the House Freedom Caucus.

While on Capitol Hill, Gabe worked closely with the members and staff of the Health Subcommittee while Congressman Pitts chaired that panel. The subcommittee oversees a wide range of government health programs and issues, including public health; hospital construction; mental health and research; biomedical programs and health protection in general, including public and private health insurance; food and drugs; and drug abuse. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over federal agencies responsible for public health programs, regulation, and administration. They include the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and others.

Read more about Gabe NevilleEmail
Show more Show less