Congressional Leadership
in the 116th Congress
1
Background
Leadership of the House and Senate will meet to determine committee assignments and committee leadership for the 116th Congress. Committee compositions
depend on the majority parties in each Chamber, ratio of the majority to minority, leadership negotiations, and House and Senate leadership elections.
In the House, eight incumbent committee chairmen are retiring. Republican-imposed term-limits on committee chairmen resulted in five of the retiring members unable to seek another term as chair.
The House Republican Conference ratified Committee Ranking Member positions on November 30.
In the Senate, Republican retirements have led to open leadership positions on the Foreign Relations and Finance Committees. Democratic leadership changes have been shaped by the loss of
Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO).
2
House Party Leadership
Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi (CA-05)
Majority Leader
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Majority Whip
Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
Assistant Democratic Leader
Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03)
Democratic Caucus Chair
Hakeem Jeries (NY-08)
Democratic Caucus Vice Chair
Katherine Clark (MA-05)
DCCC Chair
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Minority Leader
Kevin McCarthy (CA-23)
Minority Whip
Steve Scalise (LA-01)
Republican Conference Chair
Liz Cheney (WY-AL)
Republican Conference Vice Chair
Mark Walker (NC-06)
Republican Policy Committee Chair
Gary Palmer (AL-06)
NRCC Chair
Tom Emmer (MN-06)
3
House Committee Leadership Procedures
Democratic Caucus Procedures
The Democratic Steering and Policy Committee nominates Chairmen, subject to approval to the
entire Democratic Caucus, with the exception of three committees. Democratic rules govern that
“merit, length of service on the committee and degree of commitment to the Democratic agenda
of the nominee, and diversity of the Caucus” are considered in the selection of Chairman.
Democrats have historically selected the most senior member on each committee as Chairman.
In 2009, Democrats removed the House rule established in 1995 limiting a Chairman from
serving no longer than three terms.
The Democratic Leader nominates a Chair for the Committees on Rules and House
Administration, subject to the approval of the entire Caucus. The Budget Chair is selected
from among members choosing to run for the position, and is not solely based upon seniority.
For Speaker of the House, Democrats nominate a candidate in the Democratic Caucus, by
majority vote. That candidate proceeds to the House Floor, where House Rules dictate that
the Speaker receive a majority, 218 votes, to be elected Speaker. With 234 Democratic
Representatives in the 116th Congress, Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi can aord to lose
17 Democratic votes, unless Members do not participate, or vote present.
Republican Conference Procedures
The Republican Steering Committee nominates Ranking Members, subject to approval to
the entire Republican Conference, with the exception of Rules and House Administration.
Republican Conference rules do not require Ranking Members be the member with the longest
service on the committee. In 2013, House Republicans reinstated a three-term limit for
Committee leadership.
The Republican Minority Leader selects the Ranking Member of Rules and Ranking Member of
House Administration. Nominees are subject to the approval of the Republican Conference.
Source: Congressional Research Service
4
House Steering Committee Composition
Democratic Steering Committee
Speaker (If Majority)
House Democratic Leader
Assistant Democratic Leader
Democratic Whip
Steering and Policy Co-Chairs 2, and Vice Chairs 2
Democratic Caucus Chair and Vice-Chair, DCCC Chair
Chief Deputy Whips 8
Regional Members 12
Committee Leaders 6
Freshman Class Member
Democratic Leader Appointees 15
Republican Steering Committee
Speaker (If Majority)
House Republican Leader
Republican Whip and Chief Deputy Whip
Republican Conference Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Policy Chair, NRCC Chair
Chairman Designee 1, Speaker Designee 1, At-Large Members 6
Texas Representative 1, Regional Representatives 11, and Small State Representative 1
114th-116th Class Representatives 3
Retirements Impacting Committee Gavels
Eight Republicans currently leading House Committees did not seek reelection in 2018:
Rodney Frelinghuysen, Appropriations
Jeb Hensarling, Financial Services
Ed Royce, Foreign Aairs
Gregg Harper, House Administration
Bob Goodlatte, Judiciary
Trey Gowdy, Oversight and Government Reform
Lamar Smith, Science, Space, and Technology
Bill Shuster, Transportation and Infrastructure
In the House, one Democratic Ranking Member was elected to higher oce:
Tim Walz, Veterans’ Aairs
Source: Congressional Research Service
5
House Committee Leadership
Administration
Appropriations
Agriculture
Armed Services
Rodney Davis (IL)
Kay Granger (TX)
Michael Conaway (TX)
Mac Thornberry (TX)
Zoe Lofgren (CA)
Nita Lowey (NY)
Collin Peterson (MN)
Adam Smith (WA)
Committee Name
R
Republican (State)
D
Democrat (State)
Key
Italics denotes incumbent Chair or Ranking Member
6
House Committee Leadership
Budget
Energy and Commerce
Education and the Workforce
Ethics
Steve Womack (AR)
Greg Walden (OR)
Virginia Foxx (NC)
Kenny Marchant (TX)
John Yarmuth (KY)
Frank Pallone (NJ)
Bobby Scott (VA)
Ted Deutch (FL)
7
House Committee Leadership
Financial Services
Homeland Security
Foreign Aairs
Intelligence
Michael McCaul (TX)
Devin Nunes (CA)
Maxine Waters (CA)
Bennie Thompson (MS)
Eliot Engel (NY)
Adam Schi (CA)
Patrick McHenry (NC)
Mike Rogers (AL)
8
House Committee Leadership
Judiciary
Oversight and Government Reform
Natural Resources
Rules
Rob Bishop (UT)
Tom Cole (OK)
Jerry Nadler (NY)
Elijah Cummings (MD)
Raul Grijalva (AZ)
James McGovern (MA)
Doug Collins (GA)
Jim Jordan (OH)
9
House Committee Leadership
Science, Space, and Technology
Transportation and Infrastructure
Small Business
Veterans’ Aairs
Eddie Johnson (TX)
Peter DeFazio (OR)
Nydia Velazquez (NY)
Mark Takano (CA)
Frank Lucas (OK)
Sam Graves (MO)
Steve Chabot (OH)
Phil Roe (TN)
10
House Committee Leadership
Ways and Means
Kevin Brady (TX)Richard Neal (MA)
Joint Committees
Budget/Appropriations Reform Pensions
Economic Printing
Library Taxation
The chairmanship of joint committees usually alternates between the House and Senate.
Chairmanship of the Economic, Library, and Taxation Joint Committees will revert to the Senate.
Chairmanship of the Pensions and Printing Committees will revert to the House.
11
Senate Party Leadership
Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell (KY)
Majority Whip
John Thune (SD)
Republican Conference Chair
John Barrasso (WY)
Republican Policy Committee Chair
Roy Blunt (MO)
Republican Conference Vice Chair
Joni Ernst (IA)
NRSC Chair
Todd Young (IN)
Minority Leader
Chuck Schumer (NY)
Minority Whip
Dick Durbin (IL)
Democratic Assistant Leader
Patty Murray (WA)
Democratic Policy Committee Chair
Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Democratic Caucus Vice Chairs
Elizabeth Warren (MA), Mark Warner (VA)
DSCC Chair
Catherine Cortez Masto (NV)
12
Senate Committee Leadership Procedures
Under Senate tradition, the majority party member with the greatest seniority on a committee serves as its chairman. In 1995, the Republican Party allowed
for a secret ballot to select committee chairmen, along with a six-year term limit on committee chairmen and ranking members.
Senate committees are divided by three types: A, B and C. Each Senator may serve on no more than two Class A committees, and one class B committee. There are no limits on Class C committees.
Republican Conference rules limit Senators to service on only one of the “Super A” committees – Appropriations, Armed Services, Finance and Foreign Relations. Democrats impose limits on the same
committees, with the exception of Foreign Relations.
Under party procedure, Senators from the same state and party cannot serve on the same committee(s).
13
Senate Committee Leadership
Aging
Appropriations
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Armed Services
Susan Collins (ME)
Richard Shelby (AL)
Pat Roberts (KS)
James Inhofe (OK)
Robert Casey (PA)
Patrick Leahy (VT)
Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Jack Reed (RI)
Committee Name
R
Republican (State)
Key
Italics denotes incumbent Chair or Ranking Member
D
Democrat (State)
14
Senate Committee Leadership
Banking, House, and Urban Aairs
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Budget
Energy and Natural Resources
Mike Crapo (ID)
Roger Wicker (MS)
Michael Enzi (WY)
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Sherrod Brown (OH)
Maria Cantwell (WA)
Bernie Sanders (VT)
Joe Manchin (WV)
15
Senate Committee Leadership
Environment and Public Works
Finance
Ethics
Foreign Relations
John Barrasso (WY)
Chuck Grassley (IA)
Johnny Isakson (GA)
James Risch (ID)
Tom Carper (DE)
Ron Wyden (OR)
Chris Coons (DE)
Robert Menendez (NJ)
16
Senate Committee Leadership
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Indian Aairs
Homeland Security and Government Aairs
Intelligence
Lamar Alexander (TN)
John Hoeven (ND)
Ron Johnson (WI)
Richard Burr (NC)
Patty Murray (WA)
Tom Udall (NM)
Gary Peters (MI)
Mark Warner (VA)
17
Senate Committee Leadership
Judiciary
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Rules and Administration
Veterans’ Aairs
Lindsey Graham (SC)
Marco Rubio (FL)
Roy Blunt (MO)
Johnny Isakson (GA)
Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Ben Cardin (MD)
Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Jon Tester (MT)
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