111th United States Congress


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.
In the November 2008 elections, the Democratic Party increased its majorities in both chambers, 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. 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. 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. After comprising the majority of the House of Representatives since the 106th United States Congress, the 111th United States Congress was the first where Baby boomers comprised the majority of the Senate.
The 111th Congress was the most productive congress since the 89th Congress. 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

Major legislation

Enacted

Health care reform

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 :

Vetoed

Treaties ratified

Major nomination hearings

Impeachments

  • : Judge Samuel B. Kent: impeached June 19, 2009, resigned June 30, 2009, before trial; charges dismissed July 22, 2009.
  • : Judge Thomas Porteous: impeached March 11, 2010, convicted December 8, 2010.

Leadership

Senate

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Minority (Republican) leadership

House of Representatives

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Minority (Republican) leadership

Members

  • ''Skip to House of Representatives, below''

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.

Delaware">List of United States senators from Delaware">Delaware


Kansas">List of United States senators from Kansas">Kansas


Mississippi">List of United States senators from Mississippi">Mississippi


New York">List of United States senators from New York">New York


South Carolina">List of United States senators from South Carolina">South Carolina


West Virginia">List of United States senators from West Virginia">West Virginia


House of Representatives

Delaware">List of United States representatives from Delaware">Delaware


Kansas">List of United States representatives from Kansas">Kansas


Mississippi">List of United States representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi


New York">List of United States representatives from New York">New York


South Carolina">List of United States representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina


West Virginia">List of United States representatives from West Virginia">West Virginia


Changes in membership

Senate

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.

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 there will be special elections.

Committees

Senate

CommitteeChairmanRanking Member
Aging Herb Kohl Bob Corker
Agriculture, Nutrition and ForestryBlanche Lincoln Saxby Chambliss
AppropriationsDaniel Inouye Thad Cochran
Armed ServicesCarl Levin John McCain
Banking, Housing and Urban AffairsChris Dodd Richard Shelby
BudgetKent Conrad Judd Gregg
Commerce, Science and TransportationJay Rockefeller Kay Bailey Hutchison
Energy and Natural ResourcesJeff Bingaman Lisa Murkowski
Environment and Public WorksBarbara Boxer Jim Inhofe
Ethics Barbara Boxer Johnny Isakson
FinanceMax Baucus Chuck Grassley
Foreign RelationsJohn Kerry Richard Lugar
Health, Education, Labor and PensionsTom Harkin Mike Enzi
Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsJoe Lieberman Susan Collins
Indian AffairsByron Dorgan John Barrasso
Intelligence Dianne Feinstein Kit Bond
JudiciaryPatrick Leahy Jeff Sessions
Rules and AdministrationChuck Schumer Bob Bennett
Small Business and EntrepreneurshipMary Landrieu Olympia Snowe
Veterans' AffairsDaniel Akaka Richard Burr

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Employees

Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States">Legislative branch agency directors

Senate

House of Representatives

Employees include:

Elections

Membership lists