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, 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 clients navigate the complexities of federal policymaking and proactively engage the legislative and executive branches of government. Using an intimate knowledge of the government gained over thirty years in politics, Gabe helps clients understand policymakers, conservative politics, and…

Gabe Neville, a non-lawyer, helps clients navigate the complexities of federal policymaking and proactively engage the legislative and executive branches of government. Using an intimate knowledge of the government gained over thirty years in politics, Gabe helps clients understand policymakers, conservative politics, and the legislative and regulatory tools available to advance their agendas. He also advises on responding to congressional inquiries and invitations to testify.

Gabe supports clients in sectors as varied as mining, franchising, technology, and life sciences and has substantial experience advising on appropriations, critical minerals, energy, food regulation, health, human rights, intellectual property, labor, social media content moderation, telecommunications, tax, and international trade.

He joined Covington after nearly two decades as a senior congressional staffer and chief of staff to a senior Republican member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. He previously worked as a Pennsylvania state legislative staffer, Republican campaign professional, and journalist.

Gabe has deep relationships in Republican politics and the conservative movement. As a congressional staffer he frequently chaired meetings of the Values Action Team (VAT) and attended weekly meetings of the Republican Study Committee (RSC). Gabe continues to work with these and other center-right organizations that constitute the base of the Republican Party and frequently drive its priorities.

Gabe was chief of staff to the chairman of the Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee, which 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.

At Covington, Gabe has prepared dozens of corporate executives, nonprofit leaders, academics, and nominees for congressional committee hearings. These range from routine policy hearings to high-stakes, high-profile congressional investigations.

He is the author of The Last Men Standing: The 8th Virginia Regiment in the American Revolution and many deeply researched articles on the Revolutionary War and the Founding Era.

Read more about Gabe NevilleEmail
Show more Show less