115th United States Congress facts for kids

The 115th United States Congress was a group of lawmakers in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. They worked together from January 3, 2017, to January 3, 2019. This Congress started after the 2016 elections. It ended when the 116th United States Congress began. During this time, the Republicans were in charge of both the House and the Senate.

Who Were the Leaders?

Senate Leaders

The Senate has important leaders who help things run smoothly.

• The President of the Senate was Joe Biden. He was a Democrat.
• The Senate President Pro Tempore was Orrin Hatch. He was a Republican. This person leads the Senate when the Vice President is not there.
• The Majority Leader was Mitch McConnell from Kentucky. He was a Republican. He was the main leader for the party with the most members.
• The Minority Leader was Charles Schumer from New York. He was a Democrat. He was the main leader for the party with fewer members.
• The Majority Whip was John Cornyn from Texas. He was a Republican. Whips help make sure party members vote a certain way.
• The Minority Whip was Dick Durbin from Illinois. He was a Democrat.

House Leaders

The House of Representatives also has its own set of leaders.

• The Speaker of the House was Paul Ryan. He was a Republican. The Speaker is the top leader in the House.
• The Majority Leader was Kevin McCarthy from California. He was a Republican.
• The Minority Leader was Nancy Pelosi from California. She was a Democrat.
• The Majority Whip was Steve Scalise from Louisiana. He was a Republican.
• The Minority Whip was Steny Hoyer from Maryland. He was a Democrat.

How Were the Parties Divided?

In the 115th Congress, the two main political parties had different numbers of members.

Senate Party Numbers

• There were 51 Republicans.
• There were 47 Democrats.
• There were also 2 Independent members. These Independents usually voted with the Democrats.

House Party Numbers

• There were 235 Republicans.
• There were 193 Democrats.
• There were 7 seats that were empty at the time.

Images for kids

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  President of the Senate Joe Biden.

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  Mitch McConnell, Republican from Kentucky, Senate Majority Leader.

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  House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

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  Donald Trump takes the oath of office as the 45th president of the United States.

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  President Donald Trump addressing Congress, with Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

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  American Federation of Government Employees members protesting for the federal employees affected by the January 2018 government shutdown.

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  Trump signing the Music Modernization Act.

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  Senator Tammy Duckworth and then House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi opposing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

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  Democratic women in the House of Representatives wearing white to honor women's suffrage. (March 2017)

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  Newly elected members of the House of Representatives on the Capitol steps.