Every two years, the period between the November election and the start of the new Congress is frequently the busiest time for Congress coverage.
Reporters are trying to find out who won and lost their elections. The current Congress is back, striving to avoid a government shutdown and frequently navigating a terrain of other big bills. There are frequent leadership elections. Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, defeated Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Florida, to succeed outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as the top Republican leader in the Senate. Thune starts as Majority Leader on Friday afternoon. We’re still not sure how difficult it will be for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to return to the Speaker’s suite. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., went 15 rounds before claiming the Speaker’s gavel in 2023.
With so much going on, I find it difficult to organize my time. The new Congress begins at noon on January 3. So I spend the time between the election and the start of the new Congress researching, studying, and remembering the faces and biographies of as many new lawmakers as possible.
It is time demanding. It can be difficult to discern between certain rookies. Even getting the names and pronunciations correct.
It’s quite the learning curve.
This process accelerates around the holidays. It’s the final push before the official launch on January 3.
Some people are easier to teach than others. Sens. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) were well-known in the House before joining the Senate. In fact, they are already senators. Other new senators are well-known since they ran in competitive elections. Consider Sens.-elect Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., and Dave McCormick, R-Penn. Sen.-elect Jim Justice, R-West Virginia, did not face a difficult race to join the Senate. However, before winning, Justice and his constant canine friend Babydog made national headlines.
But the true adventure is getting to know all of the new House members.
The house is enormous. 435 persons. Some fresh faces stick out in the House. However, many are obscure. It’s especially difficult to learn some of them if they didn’t participate in a competitive race or were relative unknowns.
On Friday, the House will welcome 62 new Members as well as non-voting representatives. My goal is to learn them all.
My everyday fitness routine provides an excellent opportunity for this. After all, Congress moves at a treadmill-like speed. However, for my purposes, learning the freshman class is similar to an elliptical. As my legs churn each morning, I go over the list of faces and names several times. I cycle through the entire House roster at least twice. I then take the list to the stationary cycle and study more there.
Some names are more popular than others. For example, Representative-elect Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, was well-known before to the election. He narrowly defeated Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, this November. Furthermore, his surname has a long history in American politics, primarily with the Democratic party. His uncle is former Democratic Senator Mark Begich of Alaska. His grandpa, the late Rep. Nick Begich, D-Alaska, was killed in a 1972 plane crash alongside the late House Majority Leader Hale Boggs, D-La. Boggs is the father of the late ABC and NPR journalist, Cokie Roberts.
I attempt to meet as many of the incoming freshmen as possible. But, as I mentioned previously, bandwidth is limited. During this chaotic period following the election, all freshmen congregate to the Capitol complex for orientation. There simply aren’t enough minutes in the day.
But I was having a drink with a dear friend at The Monocle, a famed Capitol Hill watering establishment, a few weeks ago. I noticed former Senator Begich stroll in, but I couldn’t grab his attention to say hello. A few moments later, the Congressman-elect passed past. I took him by the arm, introduced myself, and handed him my business card.
Believe me when I say that meeting members of the freshmen class in person makes memorizing them simpler. And I was proud of myself for being able to identify Rep.-elect Begich in a throng based on my study.
I spoke briefly with Reps.-elect Julie Fedorchak (R-North Dakota) and Dave Taylor (R-Ohio). So I’m confident that I know those members.
Then there are some who left Congress and are returning. Former representatives Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., and Cleo Fields, D-La. Stutzman served in Congress only a few years ago and is returning. Fields served in the House for over three decades, in the 1990s, when he was in his thirties.
I mentioned delegates a little earlier.
Delegate-elect Kimberlyn In a few days, King-Hinds, a Republican from the Northern Mariana Islands, will begin his first year at Washington. She succeeds retiring Del. Kilili Sablan (D-Northern Mariana Islands). I haven’t met King-Hinds yet. However, other photographs have surfaced showing her sporting a tropical floral headpiece. I don’t know if that’s what King-Hinds wears all the time. However, such attire would make it simpler to identify King-Hinds.
For instance, the signature cowboy hat worn by Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., makes her stand out.
Finally, there are the pronunciations. Not every name is as easy as Rep.-elect Tim Moore, R-N.C., or Rep.-elect Gabe Evans, R-Colo. Try Rep.-elect Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va. It’s pronounced soo-bruh-MAHN—yum. The surname of Rep.-elect Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., is pronounced HAMM-uh-day. And the aforementioned Julie Fedorchak says her last name fedd-ORR-check.
I conscripted AWN Radio reporter Ryan Schmelz to quiz me on the backgrounds of some of the freshman – as well as match photos with names. I had no problem guessing correctly when Schmelz showed me the photo of Rep.-elect Sarah Elfreth, D-Md. She succeeds retiring Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md.
But I stumbled when Schmelz pointed to a picture of Rep.-elect Maxine Dexter, D-Ore. I immediately knew the Congresswoman elect was named “Maxine.” I was positive she was a Democrat and hailed from Oregon. I even knew who she was succeeding: retiring Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore. But I didn’t get the last name. I wanted to say “Deeter.” But I knew that wasn’t right.
So, Schmelz stumped me there.
But that’s the learning process. And even though I didn’t know Dexter then, you can bet I won’t forget her now.
And look forward to meeting her. I have known her predecessor for years.
But frankly, you don’t really learn the Members by studying a book. You learn them by seeing them in the hall. Chatting with them in the Speaker’s Lobby. Interacting with them in interviews. Seeing how they do in hearings. You watch how they handle themselves on the floor.
And the best way to learn them?
Observing how they vote and perform as a Member of Congress.
