111th_Congress

111th United States Congress

111th United States Congress

2009–2011 meeting of U.S. legislature

The 111th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. It began during the last weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of Barack Obama's presidency. It was composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The apportionment of seats in the House was based on the 2000 U.S. census.[1][2][3]

Quick Facts January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011, Members ...
House of Representatives member pin for the 111th U.S. Congress
Inauguration of Barack Obama at the U.S. Capitol, January 20, 2009.
President Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 into law, January 29, 2009.
Sonia Sotomayor testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court, July 13, 2009.
President Obama addressing Congress regarding health care reform, September 9, 2009.
Tea Party protests in front of the U.S. Capitol, September 12, 2009.
President Obama delivering the 2010 State of the Union Address, January 25, 2010.
President Obama signing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law, March 23, 2010.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy swearing in Elena Kagan during her first day of testimony on her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court, June 28, 2010
Congressional leaders meeting with President Obama, November 30, 2010.
President Obama signing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 into law, January 2, 2011.

In the November 2008 elections, the Democratic Party increased its majorities in both chambers (including – when factoring in the two Democratic caucusing independents – a brief filibuster-proof 60-40 supermajority in the Senate), and with Barack Obama being sworn in as president on January 20, 2009, this gave Democrats an overall federal government trifecta for the first time since the 103rd Congress in 1993.

However, the Senate supermajority only lasted for a period of 72 working days while the Senate was actually in session. A new delegate seat was created for the Northern Mariana Islands.[4] The 111th Congress had the most long-serving members in history: at the start of the 111th Congress, the average member of the House had served 10.3 years, while the average Senator had served 13.4 years.[5] The Democratic Party would not simultaneously control both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate again until more than a decade later, during the 117th Congress.

The 111th Congress was the most productive congress since the 89th Congress.[6] It enacted numerous significant pieces of legislation, including the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and the New START treaty.

Major events

Main articles: 2009 in the United States, 2010 in the United States, and 2011 in the United States

Major legislation

Enacted

Main article: Acts of the 111th United States Congress

Health care reform

See also: Health care reform in the United States and Affordable Care Act

At the encouragement of the Obama administration, Congress devoted significant time considering health care reform. In March 2010, Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law, the first comprehensive health care reform legislation in decades, along with further amendments in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Other major reform proposals during the health care debate included:

Proposed

Proposed bills include (in alphabetical order):[lower-alpha 2]

Vetoed

See also: List of United States presidential vetoes

Treaties ratified

See also: List of United States treaties

Major nomination hearings

Impeachments

See also: Impeachment investigations of United States federal judges

Party summary

Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Changes in membership" section, below.

Senate

  • Senate membership
  • Final (from November 29, 2010)
  • January 3, 2009 – January 15, 2009
  • January 15, 2009 – January 20, 2009
  • January 20, 2009 – January 26, 2009
  • January 26, 2009 – April 30, 2009
  • April 30, 2009 – July 7, 2009
  • July 7, 2009 – August 25, 2009
  • August 25, 2009 – September 9, 2009
  • September 9, 2009 – September 10, 2009
  • September 10, 2009 – September 25, 2009
  • September 25, 2009 – February 4, 2010
  • February 4, 2010 – June 28, 2010
  • June 28, 2010 – July 16, 2010
  • July 16, 2010 – November 29, 2010
The United States Senate (in 2010)
More information Party (Shading indicates majority caucus), Total ...

House of Representatives

Final House Membership
     255 Democrats
     179 Republicans

     1 Vacant
More information Party (Shading indicates majority caucus), Total ...

Leadership

Section contents: Senate: Majority (D), Minority (R) • House: Majority (D), Minority (R)

Senate

Senate President
Dick Cheney (R)
(until January 20, 2009)
Joe Biden (D)
(from January 20, 2009)
Senate President pro tempore
Robert Byrd (D)
(until June 28, 2010)
Daniel Inouye (D)
(from June 28, 2010)

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Minority (Republican) leadership

House of Representatives

Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi (D)

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Minority (Republican) leadership

Members

Senate

In this Congress, Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 2010; Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 2012; and Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 2014.

House of Representatives

For maps of congressional districts, see List of United States congressional districts.

Changes in membership

See also: Special elections to the 111th United States Congress

Senate

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate
Funeral service for Senator Robert Byrd, who died June 28, 2010. He was the longest-serving senator and the longest-serving member in the history of Congress.[37][38]

Four of the changes are associated with the 2008 presidential election and appointments to the Obama Administration, one senator changed parties, one election was disputed, two senators died, one senator resigned, and three appointed senators served only until special elections were held during this Congress.

More information State (class), Vacated by ...

House of Representatives

See also: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives

Five changes are associated with appointments to the Obama Administration, four directly and one indirectly. Two representatives changed parties, one died, and five resigned. House vacancies are only filled by elections. State laws regulate when (and if) there will be special elections.

More information District, Vacated by ...

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders for members of the House and Senate committees can be found through the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of this article. The directory after the pages of terms of service lists committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and, after that, House/Senate committee assignments. On the committees section of the House and Senate in the Official Congressional Directory, the committee's members on the first row on the left side shows the chairman of the committee and on the right side shows the ranking member of the committee.

Senate

Main article: List of United States Senate committees

House of Representatives

Main article: List of United States House of Representatives committees

Joint committees

Main article: List of United States congressional joint committees

Caucuses

Main article: Caucuses of the United States Congress

Employees

Legislative branch agency directors

Senate

House of Representatives

Employees include:[lower-alpha 7]

See also

Elections

Membership lists

References

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    H.Con.Res. 223
  2. [2]
    Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 111–121 (text) (PDF)
  3. [3]
    H.Con.Res. 336
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    Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 110–229 (text) (PDF)
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Notes

  1. U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's term as President of the Senate ended at noon on January 20, 2009, when Joe Biden's term began.
  2. See also: Active Legislation, 111th Congress, via senate.gov
  3. The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) and the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party (D-NPL) are the Minnesota and North Dakota affiliates of the U.S. Democratic Party and are counted as Democrats.
  4. When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.
  5. Gregorio Sablan was previously an Independent who caucused with House Democrats.
  6. Specter changed parties on April 28, 2009, rendering the position vacant.
  7. Rules of the House: "Other officers and officials"
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