The 117th Congress Convenes for the First Time, House to Vote on Rules Package

What’s happening in Congress?

• The 117th Congress convenes for the first time on Sunday, January 3, 2021, as lawmakers take their oaths of office and the leadership in both chambers prepares for the first votes of the new session.
• On Wednesday, the House and Senate will hold a joint session to certify the state-by-state results of the Electoral College, which will formalize Joe Biden as president-elect. The joint session is expected to feature votes on whether to accept objections raised by Republicans, which are unlikely to be sustained by majorities of the House or Senate.

HOUSE SCHEDULE 

• The House convenes Sunday to hold a recorded quorum call, hold swearing-in ceremonies for members and delegates, and elect the speaker. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is expected to retain her gavel, although she faces a narrow margin for re-election and the voting may take several hours. If she doesn’t secure a majority on the first ballot, additional votes may be held.
• On Monday, the House will consider the rules package for the 117th Congress, which sets the rules and procedures the House will use to conduct its business. Rules packages often include changes aimed at strengthening the position of the majority and making changes to House procedures that reflect partisan goals.
• Democrats’ rules package would reduce the ability of the Republican minority to offer amendments through the motion to recommit; prohibit the use of gendered terms in all business; and extend the ability of members to vote by proxy.
• Tuesday will feature votes on five bipartisan bills under the fast-track suspension of the rules process, including legislation to increase transparency about personnel actions taken against inspectors general; require disclosure of federal agency settlements in a public database; and standardize reporting of federal agency budget requests.
• Additional votes may be scheduled later in the week after Wednesday’s joint session of Congress to certify the Electoral College results.

SENATE SCHEDULE

• The Senate will meet Sunday to hold a quorum call and swear in newly-elected senators. Unlike the House, the Senate is a continuing body so the rules and precedents it used in the previous session carry over into the new Congress, and it doesn’t need to adopt a formal rules package.
• After it completes its Sunday session, the Senate will adjourn until the joint session of Congress on Wednesday to certify the results of the Electoral College.
• Additional votes may be scheduled later in the week.

Check below throughout the week to see the vote results and updates to the schedule.

Schedule subject to change. All times Eastern.

HOUSE

Sunday after 12pm

• Recorded quorum call
• Swearing-in members and delegates 
• House Speaker Election House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) - 216, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) - 209, Sen. Tammy Duckworth - 1, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) - 1, Present - 3, (3 absences and 2 vacancies).

Monday after 10am 

• H.Res. 8: Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 117th Congress Adopted 217-206.

Tuesday after 12pm (under suspension of the rules)

• H.R. 22: Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act of 2021 Passed 412-2.
• H.R. 23: Inspector General Protection Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 27: Settlement Agreement Information Database Act of 2021 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 21: FedRAMP Authorization Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 26: Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act of 2021Passed by voice vote.

Wednesday after 1pm

• Joint Session to Certify the Electoral College Results

Rest of the Week

• To be announced.

SENATE

Sunday

• Quorum call
• Swearing-in new senators

Wednesday after 1pm

• Joint Session to Certify the Electoral College Results

Rest of the Week

• To be announced.

Tell your reps how to vote on this week's bills and share your thoughts below!

— Eric Revell