November 18, 2022

118th Congressional Leadership Outlook

Ryan Bernstein, Rael Candelaria, Stephanie Kennan, Mona Mohib, Paul Reagan, Gabriel Wiedenhoever

+ Follow Contact

Send

Embed

The 118^th Congress will be divided when it convenes in January 2023. After the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats will retain control of the Senate and the Republicans will control the House.

On November 15, 2022, House Republicans nominated Representative Kevin McCarthy as Speaker, defeating Representative Andy Biggs 188-31. To officially become Speaker, Representative McCarthy needs 218 votes from the full House when it convenes in January 2023.

On November 16, 2022, the Senate Republican caucus reelected Senator Mitch McConnell as their leader. Senate Democrats are expected to host their leadership conference on December 8^th and will reelect Senator Chuck Schumer as Majority Leader.

Because Congress will be divided, we expect significant action within the Committees. Here is a summary of the expected Senate and House congressional and committee leadership next Congress.

Senate Leadership Outlook
Title	Majority	Minority	Notes
Leader	Chuck Schumer (D-NY)*	Mitch McConnell (R-KY)	*Democrats are expected to hold leadership elections December 8^th
President Pro Tempore	Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)	-	Sen. Schumer has announced that he will nominate Sen. Murray to serve as Senate President Pro Tempore following Sen. Leahy’s retirement.
Whip	Dick Durbin (D-IL)*	John Thune (R-SD)	Unchanged.
Policy Chair	Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)*	Joni Ernst (R-IA)	Former Republican Policy Chair Roy Blunt is retiring.
Conference Chair	Chuck Schumer (D-NY)*	John Barrasso (R-WY)	Unchanged.
Conference Vice Chair	Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)*	Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)	Sen. Capito steps into the role following Sen. Ernst move to Policy Chair.
Steering Committee	Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)	-	Sen. Klobuchar has not disclosed if she will remain chair of the committee.

Potential Senate Committee Leadership Outlook
Committee	Committee Chair	Committee Ranking Member	Notes
Aging	Bob Casey (D-PA)	Mike Braun (R-IN)	Former Ranking Member Sen. Tim Scott is expected to be the Ranking Member of Banking. Sen. Braun is next in line.
Agriculture	Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)	John Boozman (R-AR)	Sen. Klobuchar is next in line if Sen. Stabenow decides not to be chair of the committee.
Appropriations	Patty Murray (D-WA)	Susan Collins (R-ME)	Sen. Murray has seniority following the retirement of Sen. Leahy. With former Ranking Member Sen. Shelby retiring, Sen. Collins is next in line for Ranking Member.
Armed Services	Jack Reed (D-RI)	Roger Wicker (R-MS)	With former Ranking Member Sen. Inhofe retiring, Sen. Wicker is next in line for Ranking Member.
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs	Sherrod Brown (D-OH)	Tim Scott (R-SC)	With former Ranking Member Sen. Toomey retiring, Sen. Tim Scott is next in line for Ranking Member.
Budget	Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)	Lindsey Graham (R-SC)	Sen. Sanders is expected to chair the HELP committee. Sen. Whitehouse is the next senior-most member.
Commerce	Maria Cantwell (D-WA)	Ted Cruz (R-TX)	With former Ranking Member Sen. Blunt retiring and Sen. Thune expected to become Whip, Sen. Cruz is next in line for Ranking Member.
Energy and Natural Resources	Joe Manchin (D-WV)	John Barrasso (R-WY)	Unchanged.
Environment and Public Works	Tom Carper (D-DE)	Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)	Unchanged.
Ethics	Chris Coons (D-DE)	James Lankford (R-OK)	With Sen. Paul choosing Homeland Security, Sen. Lankford is in line to remain as the Ranking Member of the Ethics committee.
Finance	Ron Wyden (D-OR)	Mike Crapo (R-ID)	Unchanged.
Foreign Relations	Bob Menendez (D-NJ)	James Risch (R-ID)	Unchanged.
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)	Bernie Sanders (I-VT)	Bill Cassidy (R-LA)	Sen. Sanders has voiced preference on chairing the HELP committee. Sen. Paul has announced he will pass on becoming the Ranking Member of HELP. With Sen. Burr retiring, Sen. Cassidy is next in line.
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs	Gary Peters (D-MI)	Rand Paul (R-KY)	Sen. Paul announced he will take the ranking Republican seat on the committee, passing on the health committee's top spot in favor of one that could give him a broader oversight perch.
Indian Affairs	Brian Schatz (D-HI)	Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)*	*Pending Alaska election results. Sen. Hoeven is next in line.
Intelligence	Mark Warner (D-VA)	Marco Rubio (R-FL)	Unchanged.
International Narcotics Council	Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)	John Cornyn (R-TX)	With Sen. Whitehouse and Sen. Sanders chairing other committees, Sen. Blumenthal is next in line.
Judiciary	Dick Durbin (D-IL)	Chuck Grassley (R-IA)	Unchanged.
Rules and Administration	Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)	Deb Fischer (R-NE)	With Former Ranking Member Sen. Blunt retiring, Sen. Fischer is next in line.
Small Business	Ben Cardin (D-MD)	Joni Ernst (R-IA)	Unchanged.
Veterans’ Affairs	Jon Tester (D-MT)	Jerry Moran (R-KS)	Unchanged.

House Leadership Outlook
Title	Majority	Minority	Notes
Speaker	Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)*	-	*Needs 218 votes from full House. Election will be held January 3, 2023.
Leader	Steve Scalise (R-LA)	TBD*	*Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is expected to be the front-runner to lead House Democrats.
Whip	Tom Emmer (R-MN)	TBD*	*Possible candidates include Katherine Clark (D-MA) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).

Potential House Committee Leadership Outlook
Committee	Committee Chair	Committee Ranking Member	Notes
Agriculture	G.T Thompson (R-PA)	David Scott (D-GA)
Appropriations	Kay Granger (R-TX)	TBD	Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) has declared her intention to run for Ranking, but Rep. Hoyer may reclaim this position when no longer in leadership.
Armed Services	Mike Rogers (R-AL)	Adam Smith (D-WA)
Budget	TBD	Brian Higgins (D-NY)	Potential Chair candidates include Jason Smith (R-MO), Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), and Buddy Carter (R-GA). Potential Ranking Member alternative is Brendan Boyle (D-PA).
Education and the Workforce	Tim Walberg (R-MI)	Bobby Scott (D-VA)	Tim Walberg is most likely to receive chairmanship. Jim Banks (R-IN) is also a possibility.
Energy and Commerce	Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)	Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Ethics	Michael Guest (R-MS)	TBD
Financial Services	Patrick McHenry (R-NC)	Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Foreign Affairs	Michael McCaul (R-TX)	Gregory Meeks (D-NY)

Homeland Security	TBD	Bennie Thompson (D-MS)	Potential Chair candidates include Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Mark Green (R-TN), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Kat Cammack (R-FL), and Dan Bishop (R-NC).
House Administration	TBD	Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)	Potential Chair candidates include Bryan Steil (R-WI) and Barry Loudermilk (R-GA).
Judiciary	Jim Jordan (R-OH)	Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
Natural Resources	Bruce Westerman (R-AR)	Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ)
Oversight and Reform	Jim Comer (R-KY)	TBD	Potential Ranking Member candidates include Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Gerald Connolly (D-VA), and Jamie Raskin (D-MD).
Rules	Tom Cole (R-OK)	Jim McGovern (D-MA)
Science, Space and Technology	Frank Lucas (R-OK)	TBD	Potential Ranking Member candidates include Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and Haley Stevens (D-MI).
Small Business	Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)	Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)	If needed, Chair alternatives include Roger Williams (R-TX) and Pete Stauber (R-MN).
Transportation and Infrastructure	Sam Graves (R-MO)	TBD	Potential Ranking Member candidates include Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C) and Rick Larsen (D-WA).
Veterans’ Affairs	Mike Bost (R-IL)	Mark Takano (D-CA)
Ways and Means	TBD	Richard Neal (D-MA)	Potential Chair candidates include Adrian Smith (R-NE), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and Jason Smith (R-MO).
Intelligence	Mike Turner (R-OH)	Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Republican Study Committee	Kevin Hern (R-OK)	N/A	Potential Chair alternative is Jim Banks (R-IN).

Send Print Report

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.