WASHINGTON--The US Congress reconvenes Tuesday for its 114th session, following November 4 midterms that saw Republicans clinch a Senate majority and increase their majority in the House of Representatives.
Here is a breakdown of the US legislature in numbers.
- Senate -
- Republicans: 54 (+8)
- Democrats: 46 (-8), including two independents who caucus with the Democrats
- Women: 20 (14 Democrats, 6 Republicans)
- Minorities: The Senate includes two African-Americans (Cory Booker, Tim Scott), three Hispanic senators (Robert Menendez, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz) and one Asian senator (Mazie Hirono)
- Under Senate rules, 60 votes out of 100 are generally required to pass a law
- House of Representatives -
- Republicans: 247 (+13)
- This is the largest Republican majority since the election of 1928, when there were 270 Republicans
- Democrats: 188 (-13)
- Women: 87 (65 Democrats, 22 Republicans)
- Minorities: The House includes 46 African-Americans, 36 Hispanic members and 13 representatives of Asian origin
- In a new record, a total of 107 women will serve in Congress, which will be 24.6 percent female.
AFP
