Leadership in the 115 th Congress

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Rachel Ward
5 years ago
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1 Leadership in the 115 th Congress A combination of events will spell changes to the leadership of both parties in both Chambers in the 115 th Congress. In the Senate, the retirement of Democratic Leader Harry Reid (NV) and the ascension of Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY) to that position creates an opening in the leadership hierarchy. This open slot and the potential for a race for the Democratic Whip position between Sens. Dick Durbin (IL) and Patty Murray (WA) have the potential to reshape much of the leadership team in the Senate. The presumptive Majority Leader has also indicated a potential for a broader rearrangement of the party s leadership organization. Despite their electoral losses, it does not appear that the Senate Republican Conference will see major changes in the next Congress. On the House side, the GOP s leadership races are the largest source of potential intrigue. Continuing a theme that has repeated itself over the last few years, the conservative Freedom Caucus may attempt to run one or more of its Members for elected leadership positions in the next Congress. The House GOP Conference is currently slated to hold it s internal leadership elections on November 15 th. It is unclear if any of these seats will be contested. Additionally, a number of Members of the Conference are pushing to delay these elections until later in the year. Of most importance is the Speaker s gavel. Though the House Republicans will vote on their party s designee for Speaker during the party elections, the actual vote on the House Floor will not occur until January Some of the Chamber s more conservative members may withhold their Floor votes for Ryan pending his actions as Speaker during this year s lame duck session. US Senate Senate Majority Leadership Majority Leader: Mitch McConnell (KY) Majority Whip: John Cornyn (TX) Conference Chair: John Thune (SD) Conference Vice Chair: Roy Blunt (MO) Policy Committee Chair: John Barrasso (WY) National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair: Cory Gardner (CO) or Thom Tills (NC) Senate Minority Leadership Minority Leader: Charles Schumer (NY) Minority Whip: Richard Durbin (IL) or Patty Murray (WA) Conference Chair: Patty Murray (WA) or Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI) Caucus Secretary: Patty Murray (WA) or Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI) Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee: Cory Booker (NJ), Chris Coons (DE), Al Franken (MN)

2 US House of Representatives House Majority Leadership Speaker: Paul Ryan (WI) Majority Leader: Kevin McCarthy (CA) Majority Whip: Steve Scalise (LA) Chief Deputy Whip: Patrick McHenry (NC) Conference Chair: Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA) Conference Vice Chair: Jim Jordan (OH) or an alternate Freedom Caucus Member Conference Secretary: Jim Jordan (OH) or an alternate Freedom Caucus Member House Minority Leadership Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi (CA) Minority Whip: Steny Hoyer (MD) Asst. Democratic Leader: James Clyburn (SC) Caucus Chair: Joe Crowley (NY) Caucus Vice Chair: Linda Sanchez (CA) Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair: Ben Ray Lujan (NM) Steering and Policy Committee Chair: Rosa DeLauro (CT) National Republican Congressional Committee: Steve Stivers (OH) or Roger Williams (TX) Republican Policy Committee Chair: Rep Luke Messer (IN) Republican Study Committee Chair: Andy Harris (MD) or Mark Walker (NC)

3 US Senate Committee Leadership Republicans will maintain their majority in the Senate and their gavels as Committee Chairs. Retirements and term limits mean the 115 th Congress will see a number of new Chairs and Ranking Members. Most notably, Sen. Richard Shelby is term-limited as Chair of Banking and Sen. Jim Inhofe is similarly positioned at the Environment and Public Works Committee. On the Democratic side, the retirement of Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Barbara Mikulski sets up a cascade effect that will impact the top spot on several Committees. 115 th Senate Committee Predictions Chairman Ranking Member Agriculture Pat Roberts (KS) Debbie Stabenow (MI) Appropriations Thad Cochran (MS) Pat Leahy (VT), Dick Durbin (IL), Patty Murray (WA) Armed Services John McCain (AZ) Jack Reed (RI) Budget Mike Enzi (WY) Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) or Bernie Sanders (VT) Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Commerce, Science and Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works (EPW) Mike Crapo (ID) John Thune (R-SD) Lisa Murkowski (AK) Sen. John Barrasso (WY) Sherrod Brown (OH) Bill Nelson (FL) Maria Cantwell (WA) Tom Carper (DE) Finance Orrin Hatch (UT) Ron Wyden (OR) Foreign Relations Bob Corker (TN) Robert Menendez (NJ)

4 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Lamar Alexander (TN) Ron Johnson (WI) Patty Murray (WA) or Bernie Sanders (VT) Claire McCaskill (MO) Indian Affairs John Hoeven (ND) Jon Tester (MT) Judiciary Chuck Grassley (IA) Patrick Leahy (VT) OR Dick Durbin (IL) Rules and Administration Roy Blunt (MO) or Richard Shelby (AL) Dick Durbin (IL) or Tom Udall (NM) Special Aging Susan Collins (ME) Bob Casey( PA) Select Intelligence Richard Burr (NC) Dianne Feinstein (CA) Small Business and Entrepreneurship James Risch (ID) Jeanne Shaheen (NH) Veterans Affairs Johnny Isakson (GA) Richard Blumenthal (CT) U.S. House of Representative Committee Leadership Retirements among many senior Members of the Republican Conference will create a number of vacancies in the leadership of key Committees in the 115 th Congress. The retirements of Education and Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (MN) and House Administration Committee Chairwoman Candice Miller (MI) create openings at the top of those Committees, but it does not appear that any of these races will be contested. The most closely watched race is that for the gavel of the Energy and Commerce Committee. In addition, Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Jeff Miller (FL) is retiring, and several Members will vie for that gavel. On the Democratic side of the aisle, Rep. Chris Van Hollen s (MD) Senate victory and the decision of Rep. Corrine Brown (FL) to step down as Ranking Member of Veterans Affairs have created two openings for the top spot on those Committees. John Yarmuth (KY) appears poised to take the Budget gavel and the Veteran s Affairs Ranking Member position appears to be a race between Reps. Tim Walz (MN) and Mark Takano (CA). 115 th House Committee Predictions Chairman Ranking Member

5 Agriculture Michael Conaway (TX) Collin Peterson (MN) Appropriations Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ) Nita Lowey (NY) Armed Services Mac Thornberry (TX) Adam Smith (WA) Budget Tom Price (GA) John Yarmuth (KY) Education and the Workforce Energy and Commerce Virginia Foxx (NC) John Shimkus (IL) or Greg Walden (OR) Bobby Scott (VA) Frank Pallone (NJ) Ethics Charlie Dent (PA) Linda Sancehz (CA) Financial Services Jeb Hensarling (TX) Maxine Waters (CA) Foreign Affairs Ed Royce (CA) Eliot Engel (NY) Homeland Security Mike McCaul (TX) Bennie Thompson (MS) House Administration Gregg Harper (MS) Robert Brady (PA) Intelligence Devin Nunes (CA Adam Schiff (CA) Judiciary Bob Goodlatte (VA) John Conyers (MI) Natural Resources Rob Bishop (UT) Peter DeFazio (OR) Oversight and Government Reform Jason Chaffetz (UT) Elijah Cummings (MD) Rules Pete Sessions (TX) Louise Slaughter (NY) Science, Space and Technology Lamar Smith (TX) Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX) Small Business Steve Chabot (OH) Nydia Velazquez (NY) Transportation and Infrastructure Bill Shuster (PA) Peter DeFazio (OR)

6 Veterans Affairs Gus Bilirakis (Phil Roe (TN) Mark Takano (CA) or Tim Walz (MN) Ways and Means Kevin Brady (TX) Sander Levin (MI)

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