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112th United States Congress
United States Capitol west front edit2
United States Capitol (2011)

Duration: January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013

Senate President: Tim Pawlenty (R)
Senate Pres. pro tem: Daniel Inouye (D)
House Speaker: John Boehner (R)
Members: 100 Senators
435 Representatives
6 Non-voting members
Senate Majority: Democratic Party
House Majority: Republican Party

Sessions
1st: January 5, 2011 – January 3, 2012
2nd: January 3, 2012 – present
<111th 113th>

The One Hundred Twelfth United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 2011, and will end on January 3, 2013, 17 days before the end of the presidential term to which John McCain was elected in 2008. Senators elected to regular terms in 2006 will complete those terms in this Congress. This Congress includes the last House of Representatives elected from congressional districts that were apportioned based on the 2000 census.

In the 2010 midterm elections, the Republican Party won the majority in the House of Representatives. While the Democrats kept their Senate majority, it was reduced from the previous Congress. This is the first Congress in which the House and Senate are controlled by different parties since the 107th Congress (2001–2003), and the first Congress to begin that way since the 99th Congress (1985–1987). In this Congress, the House of Representatives has the largest number of Republican members, 242, since the 80th Congress (1947–1949). This is also the first Congress since 1947 in which a member of the Kennedy family has not served.

Major events[]

Major legislation[]

Enacted[]

  • January 2, 2011: James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010
  • October 21, 2011: United States-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
  • October 21, 2011: United States-Panama Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
  • October 21, 2011: United States-South Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
  • November 21, 2011: VOW to Hire Heroes Act
  • December 31, 2011: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012
  • February 15, 2012: Questions to the President Act
  • March 21, 2012: United States-Ghana Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
  • March 21, 2012: United States-Kenya Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
  • April 5, 2012: Jump-start Our Business Start-ups Act

Proposed[]

Leadership[]

Senate[]

Tim Pawlenty official portrait (SIADD)

President of the Senate
Tim Pawlenty (R)

Daniel Inouye Official Photo 2009

President pro tempore of Senate
Daniel Inouye (D)

  • President of the Senate: Tim Pawlenty (R)
  • President pro tempore: Daniel Inouye (D)

Majority (Democratic) leadership[]

  • Majority Leader and Caucus Chair: Harry Reid
  • Assistant Majority Leader (Majority Whip): Dick Durbin
  • Caucus Vice Chair and Policy Committee Chair: Chuck Schumer
  • Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair and Caucus Secretary: Patty Murray
  • Policy Committee Vice Chair: Debbie Stabenow
  • Steering and Outreach Committee Vice Chair: Daniel Akaka
  • Chief Deputy Whip: Barbara Boxer

Minority (Republican) leadership[]

  • Minority Leader: Mitch McConnell
  • Assistant Minority Leader (Minority Whip): Jon Kyl
  • Conference Chairman: Lamar Alexander, until 2012
    • John Thune, from 2012
  • Policy Committee Chairman: John Thune, until 2012
    • John Barrasso, from 2012
  • Conference Vice Chair: John Barrasso, until 2012
    • Roy Blunt, from 2012
  • National Senatorial Committee Chair: John Cornyn
  • Deputy Whips: Roy Blunt, Richard Burr, Mike Crapo, Saxby Chambliss, Rob Portman, Olympia Snowe, David Vitter, Roger Wicker

House of Representatives[]

John Boehner official portrait

Speaker of the House
John Boehner (R)

  • Speaker: John Boehner (R)

Majority (Republican) leadership[]

  • Majority Leader: Eric Cantor
  • Majority Whip: Kevin McCarthy
  • Majority Chief Deputy Whip: Peter Roskam
  • Conference Chair: Jeb Hensarling
  • Campaign Committee Chairman: Pete Sessions
  • Policy Committee Chairman: Tom Price
  • Conference Vice-Chair: Cathy McMorris Rodgers
  • Conference Secretary: John Carter

Minority (Democratic) leadership[]

  • Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi
  • Minority Whip: Steny Hoyer
  • Assistant Democratic Leader: Jim Clyburn
  • Senior Chief Deputy Minority Whip: John Lewis
  • Chief Deputy Minority Whips: Maxine Waters, Jim Matheson, Jan Schakowsky, Joseph Crowley, Diana DeGette, G. K. Butterfield, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Peter Welch
  • Caucus Chairman: John B. Larson
  • Caucus Vice-Chairman: Xavier Becerra
  • Campaign Committee Chairman: Steve Israel
  • Steering/Policy Committee Co-Chairs: Rosa DeLauro and George Miller
  • Organization, Study, and Review Chairman: Mike Capuano

Party summary[]

Senate[]

112th US Senate Structure (SIADD)

Senate Party standings (at the beginning of this Congress)

  53 Democrats
  1 Independent caucusing with Democrats
  46 Republicans

Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total Vacant
Democratic Independent Republican
End of previous congress 57 1 42 100 0
Begin 53 1 46 100 0
May 3, 2011 45 99 1
May 9, 2011 46 100 0
October 14, 2012 45 99 1
October 18, 2012 46 100 0
Latest voting share 54% 46%

House of Representatives[]

112th US House Structure (SIADD)

House Party standings (at the beginning of this Congress)

  203 Democrats
  232 Republicans

Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total Vacant
Democratic Republican
End of previous congress 255 179 434 1
Begin 203 232 435 0
February 9, 2011 231 434 1
February 28, 2011 202 433 2
May 9, 2011 230 432 3
May 24, 2011 203 433 2
June 21, 2011 202 432 3
July 12, 2011 203 433 2
August 3, 2011 202 432 3
September 13, 2011 232 434 1
January 25, 2012 201 433 2
January 31, 2012 202 434 1
March 6, 2012 201 433 2
March 20, 2012 200 432 3
June 12, 2012 201 433 2
July 7, 2012 231 432 3
July 31, 2012 230 431 4
August 15, 2012 200 430 5
Latest voting share 46.5% 53.5%
Non-voting members 6 0 6 0

Changes in membership[]

State
(class)
Former senator Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
installation
Nevada
(1)
John Ensign
(R)
Resigned May 3, 2011 due to an Ethics Committee investigation.
The appointed successor will serve for the remainder of the term that ends with this Congress.
Dean Heller May 9, 2011
Pennsylvania
(3)
Arlen Specter
(R)
Died October 14, 2012.

The appointed successor will hold the seat until a special election has been held.

Pat Toomey October 18, 2012
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