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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, is expected to be re-elected when the new Congress opens on Friday, January 3. Archive image.
1 / 2Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP/TT
Today the 119th Congress of the United States gathers in Washington DC.
Both chambers will be controlled by Donald Trump’s Republican party. One of the first tasks will be to determine the results of the election – a procedure that four years ago led to the deadly storming of the Capitol.
– It will be very aggressive from the start.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson says he is ready to introduce Donald Trump’s so-called Maga agenda.
– The mood is high among congressional Republicans. We have a new president, a new day is dawning in America, he said in mid-December, according to The Hill.
Then the budget dispute broke out. Donald Trump and super-entrepreneur Elon Musk declared dead the postponement deal Johnson negotiated with the Democrats with great difficulty. The USA held their breath before a temporary settlement was forced through on the third attempt.
Learn to find
As the US’s 119th biennial parliamentary session opens, the election of the Speaker is one of the first items on the agenda. The post is considered important to Johnson, but the public dispute with Trump has eroded his political capital.
Then there are fast days ahead. During the roughly 100-day “honeymoon” after taking office, Trump will try to push through as much legislation as possible. Tax cuts and deportations of the undocumented are two areas that are expected to be prioritized, according to the media.
But before that, around 60 new members of the House of Representatives and around ten newly hatched senators must be installed in Washington DC. They must get their offices in order and learn to find their way around the Capitol corridors. And on January 6, the ceremonial counting of electoral votes awaits, when Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election is determined.
Four years ago, the bill became dramatic. Joe Biden had won over Trump, who claimed election fraud and urged his supporters to go to Congress and “fight the hell out of them.” The violent scenes that followed, where angry Trump loyalists with Magaflags stormed the congressional building, are historic and have left a psychological mark on many who were there.
– I’m always ready to escape, a congressional employee testifies to Time and shows the gym shoes that are under the desk.
New leader
Immediately after the ceremony, the Senate is expected to start committee hearings of Trump’s nominated ministers and senior officials. This is to be able to approve them as quickly as possible once Trump takes the oath of office, which will happen on January 20.
Some of the more controversial names have spent weeks in Washington DC processing hesitant senators. Among them is vaccine skeptic Robert F Kennedy, whom Trump wants to see as health secretary.
A change of leadership is also expected in the Senate. The Republicans’ long-time group leader Mitch McConnell hands over the baton there to the conservative South Dakota senator John Thune.
Congress of FACTUSA
Congress is the federal legislative assembly of the United States with its seat in the Capitol in the capital, Washington DC. Its work runs in two-year periods – on January 3, 2025, the 119th session of Congress begins.
Congress consists of the Senate with 100 members, two from each state, and the House of Representatives with 435 seats distributed in relation to the states’ population.
In the Senate, Republicans will hold 53 of the seats. South Dakota Senator John Thune takes over as majority leader and New York Democrat Chuck Schumer becomes minority leader.
In the House of Representatives, the Republicans get a small majority, among other things because Donald Trump has picked several people from there for his government. But Mike Johnson, who is expected to be re-elected as Republican speaker, has at least 217 party members on his team. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries collects 215 Democrats.
Congress makes federal laws, decides on taxes and appropriations, and approves ministers and other high officials. It can also remove federal officials, including the president and judges, by impeachment.
Sources: United States Congress, Real Clear Politics, House Press Gallery
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