The 119th Congress
Welcome to the 119th Congress! January will be chock full of congressional, executive, and regulatory actions. AFSA will be meeting with members this week at the start of the new Congress in order to continue to protect fair access to capital through the financial services industry. As we work to share AFSA’s message throughout Washington’s ecosystem, here are a few important dates in January to keep in mind.
January 3, 2025: Tomorrow, both the Senate and the House will meet to officially begin the 119th Congress. Both chambers will hold swearing ins. The Senate will pass an “organizing resolution,” which will officially give Republicans control of the Senate committees. The House will hold a vote to elect the Speaker of the House. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has a razor slim majority and can only survive as Speaker if all Republicans but one vote to give him the gavel. Assuming a speaker is elected, the House will then vote on its rules package.
January 6, 2025: When Congress convenes on Monday it will vote to certify the Electoral College votes. However, if a Speaker has not been elected in the House by Monday, this certification will be delayed.
January 7-9: President Jimmy Carter will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda ahead of the state funeral. President Carter was the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Any person who has rendered distinguished service to the nation may lie in state if the family so wishes and Congress approves. Henry Clay was the first individual to lie in state in 1865.
January 10 – 17: Most Senate committees require a week’s notice for hearings or executive committee meetings. Following the passage of the organizing resolution on Friday, committees will likely begin announcing confirmation hearing times for President-elect Trump’s nominees.
January 2nd, 2025
