The period between the November election and when the new Congress begins is often a busy time for covering Congress as reporters try to determine the election outcomes and the existing Congress works to prevent a government shutdown and pass legislation. Leadership elections are also held during this time, with Senator John Thune succeeding Mitch McConnell as the top GOP leader in the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson also faces challenges in retaining his position. Time management becomes crucial during this period, with the new Congress starting at noon on January 3.
Learning, studying, and memorizing the faces and biographies of incoming lawmakers, particularly new members of Congress, is a time-consuming challenge. Some individuals may be easier to learn due to their prominence, such as those who ran in competitive races or those with a national profile. It is especially difficult to learn new House members who are relatively unknown and who did not face competitive races. The House is composed of 435 individuals, making the task of learning all the new faces a significant challenge.
During the holidays, the process of learning about incoming lawmakers intensifies in preparation for the launch of the new Congress on January 3. The House welcomes 62 new members along with non-voting delegates, requiring diligent efforts to memorize all of them. The author describes their daily workout routine as an opportunity to study, using the pace of Congress as a metaphor for an elliptical workout. Some new House members are prominent due to their pre-election recognition or political heritage, while others may be less well-known.
Meeting new members of the freshman class helps in memorizing them, although bandwidth constraints limit the author’s ability to interact with all the incoming lawmakers. Former lawmakers like Marlin Stutzman and Cleo Fields make a return to Congress, showcasing the cyclical nature of politics. The author describes interactions with delegates like Del.-elect Kimberlyn King-Hinds and notes that distinctive apparel or accessories make it easier to recognize lawmakers, as seen with Rep. Frederica Wilson’s signature cowboy hat.
Pronunciations of lawmakers’ names present another challenge, with some names being more difficult to enunciate correctly than others. Engaging in quizzes and exercises to match names with faces assists in the learning process, illustrating the author’s efforts to familiarize themselves with the newcomers. Observing how lawmakers vote, perform, and interact with their colleagues in various settings plays a key role in gaining a deeper understanding of their roles and responsibilities as members of Congress.
