Daily News Gems is my personal blog in which I comment, every now and again, on topics of particular interest to me, namely, newspaper history, baseball, American politics, and a selection of other burning issues of the day. -- Bill Lucey
Rep. Liz Cheney, one of two Republicans on the new select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection.
Photo Credit: CNN
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“The true democracy, living and growing and inspiring, puts its faith in the people — faith that the people will not simply elect men who will represent their views ably and faithfully, but will also elect men who will exercise their conscientious judgment — faith that the people will not condemn those whose devotion to principle leads them to unpopular courses, but will reward courage, respect honor, and ultimately recognize right.”
--John F. Kennedy
For the last several weeks, we’ve been witnessing a profile in courage—and haven’t paid much attention to it.
And it centers on Wyoming’s lone member of Congress: Liz Cheney.
The daughter of George W. Bush’s vice president, Dick Cheney, was first elected in 2016 on a platform of restoring America’s prestige in foreign affairs, with an aggressive conservative agenda of cutting taxes and regulation, and expanding America’s energy, mining and agriculture industries. Cheney serves on the House Armed Services Committee.
In 1954, John F. Kennedy, the junior senator from Massachusetts, took a leave of absence from the Senate while recovering from back surgery and wrote “Profiles in Courage,” which focuses on eight U.S. Senators who showed enormous courage under pressure from peers, and whose actions, moreover, were at odds with popular opinion.
The one-volume book earned Kennedy a Pulitzer Prize.
The senators under consideration to be profiled by Kennedy met the following criteria.
pressure to be liked
pressure to be re-elected, and
pressure of the constituency and interest groups.
Since 1990, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation have presented “Profile in Courage” awards to individuals (often elected officials) who exhibited an exemplary act of courage based on the criteria outlined in Kennedy’s prize-winning book.
Past winners have included: John McCain, Gerald Ford, Edward M. Kennedy, Gabby Giffords, Barrack Obama, George H.W. Bush, and Mitt Romney.
Interestingly, as I was browsing through the JFK Library and Museum website a week or so ago, I immediately thought of Congresswoman Cheney when I glanced at the Profile of Courage Awards.
A few days later, I was listening to the Politics War Room podcast and co-host Al Hunt described Liz Cheney’s actions (as co-chair) on the House investigation of the Jan. 6 attack on the nation’s Capitol, as bold and a “profile in courage” in pursuing the truth of what happened on that horrific day despite being banished within the Republican Party and quite possibly seeing her political career burst into flames.
Liz Cheney will be challenged in the Wyoming primary by Harriet Hageman, who unsurprisingly, has been endorsed by Donald Trump. At the beginning of the month, a poll by SoCo Strategies, shows Cheney is running about 18 points behind Hageman.
Because Cheney believes that “each of us swears an oath before God to uphold our Constitution,” she never bought into the “Big Lie” that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. She was only one of ten Republicans who voted that Donald Trump should be impeached during his second impeachment trial for inciting an insurrection by urging his supporters to march on the Capitol building.
Consenting to Trump’s false assertion that the election was stolen from him quickly became a loyalty test within the Republican Party. Because she voted to impeach Trump, Liz Cheney was removed from her No. 3 post as Chair of the House Republican Conference and replaced with Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, (surprise! surprise!) a loyal supporter of Trump.
But that didn’t silence Liz Cheney, the “Iron Lady’’ of U.S. politics.
In September, she was selected as vice chair of the January 6 Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the nation’s Capitol. She has settled into her new position like a pit bull. Two loyal disciples of Trump, Mark Meadows (Trump’s former Chief of Staff) and Steve Bannon (Trump’s former chief strategist) have been held in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with its investigation into the Jan. 6 attack.
Not only is Cheney only one of two Republicans on the commission, but she’s distinguished herself for her combative style in questioning witnesses. She’s skilled in interpreting the criminal code for the prosecution of violations. In particular, Cheney has set her sights on 18 U.S. Code § 1512. The language of the statute states that whoever corruptly … “obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.” The statute has represented the backbone of a federal abuse, which Donald Trump may have violated.
What’s particularly fascinating about Cheney’s dogged pursuit of the truth of what happened on January 6 and her daring criticism of Donald Trump (with instigating the riot) is that this isn’t a personal vendetta she has harbored against the former U.S. President.
In fact, before the insurrection, she was a loyal supporter of Donald Trump’s agenda. In 2019, she was reportedly feuding with Rand Paul over who was the “Trumpier.” She voted in line with Trump's position 92.9% of the time, supporting him “more consistently in House votes than even his former chief of staff Mark Meadows."
And it’s not as if Cheney is a moderate, out of sync with the ideals of the rest of the Republican Party. She has a 98% positivity rating from the conservative Heritage Foundation, which rates lawmakers based on their voting records.
What is driving Liz Cheney is not GOP talking points or being tethered to the party mantra: “to get along you have to go along.”
Cheney’s oath of office means more to her than being in with the in-crowd.
She refuses to acquiesce to the “Big Lie” and being relegated to one of Donald Trump’s loyal servants out of fear of being banished. In addition to speaking out in public, Cheney has tweeted the false claim is “poisoning our democratic system.” She additionally warned against falling victim to the “Trump cult of personality.”
Though she is considered a pariah within her own party, she does have a smattering of supporters within the Republican Party. Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, depicted Cheney as an “important leader" with the "courage" to act on her convictions. Likewise, Senator Sue Collins, (R-Maine), has publicly stated that "Liz Cheney is a woman of strength and consciences…she did what she felt was right, and I salute her for that.”
Former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough and co-host of “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, gave her a ringing endorsement, when he said that “she doesn’t back away from unpopular positions.”
The whole point of the writing of Profiles in Courage for John Kennedy was to show his admiration for the courage exhibited by elected officials in “the face of adverse factions like their electorates, popular opinion, and political action committees that pull these elected men in different directions.” “This book,” Kennedy wrote 67 years ago was “a book about that most admirable of human virtues – courage. ‘Grace under pressure,’ Ernest Hemingway defined it.”
Liz Cheney’s political career is most likely over for not bowing to political pressure and joining the other Republican mouseketeers in showering praise on Donald Trump despite his obvious culpability with inciting a riot.
For that Cheney paid a heavy price.
As she stated on January 12, “none of this would have happened without the president. The president could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution."
Because of her devotion to the Constitution and the values it embodies, Liz Cheney was willing to exchange her political career for the truth of what happened on January 6 at the Capitol Building, which resulted in the death of five people with scores of injuries, including 138 police officers.
If that’s not a profile in courage; I don’t know what is.
Whoever has the power, please nominate Liz Cheney for a “Profile in Courage” award.
Final vote tally for H.R. 3684-Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Image Credit: House Television via AP
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If there is agreement on nothing else in Washington, the one area, you would think, that we can all agree on is how bad (downright deplorable) the crumbling roads and bridges are in the United States.
For evidence, look no further than the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) report card for 2021. It assigned a “C-” grade, up from a “D+” in 2017, the highest grade in twenty years. In addition, the United States faces an “infrastructure investment gap” of nearly $2.6 trillion this decade, which left unaddressed, could cost the United States $10 trillion in lost GDP by 2039.
McKinsey & Company researchers say that $150 billion per year will be required between 2017 and 2030 to modernize the country’s infrastructure needs.
President Joe Biden responded quickly to the alarm bells and developed a $2 trillion “Build Back Better” infrastructure plan, an ambitious plan, which he promoted as a “once-in-a-generation investment in America.”
The second part of Biden’s infrastructure plan (which hasn’t been voted on yet) is a social spending bill that includes hundreds of billions of dollars for child- and elder-care programs, which is considered “human infrastructure.” To fund this plan, Biden has proposed raising taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans.
After heaps of acrimony and uncivilized debate, Congress passed a $1.2 trillion, bipartisan plan, which will invest hundreds of dollars to upgrade physical infrastructure, including roads and bridges, railways, airports, and water systems. The plan additionally invests tens of billions of dollars to modernize the U.S. electrical grid, aggressively embrace electric vehicles, and significantly expand broadband internet access.
With the stroke of a pen, President Biden will sign the bill on Monday.
On the face of it, this should have all the makings of a grand celebration for America’s infrastructure, much like when President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 30, 1956, signed a record $33 billion road-building program, a bipartisan authorization bill, which was met with little opposition in Congress. Sinclair Weeks, Secretary of Commerce under the Eisenhower administration hailed the bill as the “the greatest public-works program in the history of the world.”
Unlike Ike’s, the harmony in Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill was nowhere to be found. Most Republicans were dead set against it, labeling a socialist bill. Only 13 Republicans broke ranks and voted for it.
The final tally for the bill’s passage in Congress was 228-206.
The infrastructure bill was greeted a little more warmly in the other chamber, when Senate Minority leader, Mitch McConnell, and 19 Senate Republicans voted in favor of the infrastructure bill on August 10th of this year.
It’s practically unfathomable how vicious Republicans opposition to the bill were. FOX News commentator Laura Ingraham tweeted the 13 Republicans who voted for the bill had signed their “political death warrants. “
That was just the beginning.
The GOP House leadership quickly launched a malicious drive to strip committee assignments from the 13 Republican lawmakers who voted for the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., tweeted that those 13 Republicans "handed over their voting cards" to Nancy Pelosi to pass Biden's "Communist takeover of America via so-called infrastructure."
Why aren’t those members demonizing the 13 GOP members of Congress who voted for the bill being challenged by their own constituents and local newspapers for wanting to deny their state of badly needed infrastructure upgrades?
Why on earth would Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), want to oppose a bill that would deprive her own state of $12.5 billion in badly needed funding in Georgia over the next 20 years to maintain drinking water infrastructure. Georgia’s report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers additionally shows that Georgia has 374 bridges and more than 2,260 miles highway in poor condition.
Yet, Marjorie Taylor Greene likens the bill to communism and no one as much as bats an eye in her home state.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, (R-Fla) tweeted that he couldn’t believe Republicans gave the Democrats their socialism bill even though his own state of Florida has 408 bridges and over 3,564 miles of highway in poor condition. From 2010 to 2020, the Sunshine State incurred 22 extreme weather events, which cost up to $100 billion in damages. The recently passed infrastructure bill will infuse $50 billion to help communities, like Florida, recover from disasters.
If I lived in Florida, I would be outraged that Gaetz wouldn’t support such a bill knowing how badly their state was slammed with weather disaster damages.
After reading such spiteful tweets, you became painfully aware how much the GOP has lost its purpose in Washington, abandoned its values and principles, and have forgot why they were elected, which is to improve the lives of their constituents through the enactment of better laws and to act as a strong voice for the crying needs of their communities.
Today, most members of the Republican Party, sadly, are more interested in tweeting the most outrageous comment on social media in order to elicit media attention and create a buzz on social media than they are in improving the lives of the residents they supposedly represent.
Their vicious attacks and vows of revenge against the 13 GOP members who voted their conscious and what was best for their state, was downright appalling. How do they live with themselves in refusing to be part of a bill that will repair the nation’s dilapidated infrastructure?
It really makes little sense to oppose such a bill when you look at the disturbing evidence of the condition of the country’s infrastructure.
Henry Petroski, a historian, in his book, “The Road Taken: The History and Future of America’s Infrastructure” writes that poor infrastructure can impose large costs on the U.S. economy. In addition to catastrophic failures with bridge collapses or dam breaches, poorly maintained roads, trains, and waterways cost billions of dollars in lost economic productivity.
In addition to the gloomy report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that nearly one in four bridges are deficient, with 10 % considered as structurally deficient and 14 % functionally obsolete.
Equally alarming, a 2020Federal Communications Commission report finds that approximately 18 million Americans, most living in rural areas, lack access to any broadband network.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that drinking water and irrigation systems need $632 billion in additional investment over the next decade.
And yet the United States hypes itself as one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
Besides the desperate need for drastic improvement of roads and bridges, Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill will serve as a significant boon to the ailing economy in the post-pandemic United States.
By increasing efficiency and reliability and lowering transportation costs, analysts contend that investment in the nation’s infrastructure would improve “long-term U.S. competitiveness, insulate the economy from shocks, and create jobs.”
Imagine, the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers estimates that $1 billion of transportation-infrastructure investment supports as many as 13,000 jobs for a year.
This bill should have been championed by both parties as a great American success story. Instead, some members of the Republican House of Representatives (such as Rep. Fred Upton R-Mich.) are being demonized and receiving death threats because Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted many of their phone numbers on her Twitter page. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois reportedly received a call to slit his wrists and “rot in hell.” Another caller hoped Don Bacon of Nebraska would slip and fall down a staircase.
Because we live in an age when compromise is considered a dirty word and Republicans didn’t want to give Joe Biden legislative win, they were willing to neglect the needs of the nation’s infrastructure and were ok with denying potential jobs for constituents in their own state, all so they could embarrass Joe Biden.
As expected, former president Donald Trump demonized the bill, saying they [13 House members] should be “ashamed of themselves” for “helping the Democrats.”
Trump went mute over what the bill actually does for the country.
What kind of country have we become?
I never read about President Eisenhower being branded a socialist or communist for sponsoring and signing the Federal Highway Act of 1956, which gave birth to America’s interstate highway system. Eisenhower would later say that the Federal Highway Act was his favorite piece of legislation that he worked hard to get passed.
Everyone knows Washington is broken and dysfunctional; but even the Republicans, if they had any brains, would have subscribed to the timeless adage: “choose your fights wisely.”
Even Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell considered the infrastructure bill a “godsend” for his home state of Kentucky.
Jennifer Gosar, the sister of Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), told CNN’s Pamela Brown that she considers him a “sociopath”
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Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz) tweeted an image of someone killing progressive Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Soon after, Gosar’s sister appeared on CNN, calling her own brother a “sociopath.”
I’m sure It would come as little surprise to Jennifer Gosar to know that her brother isn’t the only sociopath in Congress.
Clearly, Republicans in the House of Representatives, at least most of them, are now members of the House of Crazies!
House members are sworn in at the Capitol's House chamber on the first day of the 117th Congress.
Photo Credit: Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call
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How well do you know your 117th Congress?
It’s been open for business since January 3rd; when Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was re-elected Speaker of the House by a slim margin, coming away with 216 votes, narrowly outdueling House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) who captured 209 votes. This will be Pelosi’s fourth term as Speaker of the House and mostly likely her last.
Over in the Senate, the composition of this august body mirrors the sentiment of the nation: evenly divided, especially when it comes to politics. There are now 50 seats held by Republicans, 48 seats held by Democrats, and two held by independents who caucus with the Democrats, creating a 50-50 split. Vice President Kamala Harris, of course, will cast tie-breaking votes.
This narrow edge for the Democrats, paved the way for President Joe Biden to successfully push through his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill with a 50-49 party-line vote. The bill swings back to the House for a final vote. After much bickering in a marathon session, the bill will provide billions of dollars to combat the pandemic and extend badly needed economic aid to individuals, states, cities, small businesses, and low-income families.
So far, President Biden, less than two months into his administration appears to have the wind at his back. Despite the bill’s exorbitant cost, public opinion polls, such as the one conducted by Monmouth University, found more than 60 percent of Americans support the $1.9 trillion package.
U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of Calif., waves the gavel on the opening day of the 117th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021.
Photo Credit: Bill Clark/AP
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So, with the House of Representatives preparing for a final vote on Wednesday on President Biden's historic $1.9 trillion Covid relief plan, now is about as good a time as any to become more acquainted with your new Congress.
Since 1789, 12,415 individuals have served as either Representatives (11,101 individuals) or Senators (1,994 individuals). Of these individuals, 680 have served in both chambers.
117 Congress: By the Numbers
Party Affiliation
225 Democrats in the House of Representatives (including 4 Delegates), 213 Republicans (including 1 Delegate and the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico), and 3 vacant seats.
50 Republicans, 48 Democrats in the Senate, and 2 Independents, who both caucus with the Democrats.
Age
58.4 is the average age of Members of the House; of Senators, 64.3 years.
The youngest Representative in the 117th Congress, and the youngest House Member since 1965, is Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), born August 1, 1995, who was 25 at the beginning of the 117th Congress.
The oldest Representative is Don Young (R-AK), born June 9, 1933, who was 87.
The youngest Senator in the 117th Congress is Jon Ossoff (D-GA), born February 16, 1987, who was 33 at the beginning of the Congress
The oldest Senator in the 117th Congress is Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), born June 22, 1933, who was 87.
NOTE: The U.S. Constitution requires Representatives to be at least 25 years old when they take office, while Senators must be at least 30 years old when they take office.
Length of Service
The average length of service for Representatives is 8.9 years (4.5 House terms); for Senators, 11.0 years (1.8 Senate terms).
Professions of the 117th Congress
47 Senators have previous House service
113 Members have worked in education, including teachers, professors, instructors, school fundraisers, counselors, administrators, or coaches (85 in the House, including 2 Delegates, 28 in the Senate).
4 physicians in the Senate, 14 physicians in the House, plus 5 dentists and 1 veterinarian; 2 psychologists (in the House), an optometrist (in the Senate), 2 pharmacists (in the House), and 3 nurses and 1 physician assistant (in the House).
7 ordained ministers (5 in the House, 2 in the Senate)
38 former mayors (31 in the House, 7 in the Senate)
13 former state governors (12 in the Senate, 1 in the House) and 10 lieutenant governors (5 in the Senate, 5 in the House)
7 attorneys general of their states (6 in the Senate, 1 in the House) and 8 secretaries of state (3 in the Senate, 5 in the House.)
16 former judges (all but 1 in the House) and 38 prosecutors (9 in the Senate, 29 in the House) have served in city, county, state, federal, or military capacities.
4 Ambassadors (two in each chamber).
238 former state or territorial legislators (45 in the Senate, 193 in the House, including 2 Delegates and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico).
78 former congressional staffers (15 in the Senate, 63 in the House, including 3 Delegates), as well as 5 former congressional pages (2 in the House and 3 in the Senate).
2 sheriffs, 1 police chief and 3 other police officers, 1 fire chief, 1 firefighter, 2 CIA employees, and 1 FBI agent (all in the House).
1 Peace Corps volunteer in the House.
1 physicist and 1 chemist, both in the House, and 1 geologist in the Senate; 9 engineers (8 in the House and 1 in the Senate).
21 public relations or communications professionals (3 in the Senate, 18 in the House), and 7 accountants (1 in the Senate and 6 in the House.
6 software company executives in the House and 2 in the Senate
38 consultants (7 in the Senate, 31 in the House), 5 car dealership owners (all in the House), and 4 venture capitalists (2 in the House, 2 in the Senate).
16 bankers or bank executives (4 in the Senate, 12 in the House), 27 veterans of the real estate industry (3 in the Senate, 24 in the House), and 8 Members who have worked in the construction industry (1 in the Senate, 7 in the House).
7 social workers (2 in the Senate, 5 in the House) and 3 union representatives (all in the House).
16 nonprofit executives or founders (15 in the House, 1 in the Senate) 2 radio talk show hosts (both in the House); 4 radio or television broadcasters, managers, or owners (3 in the House, 1 in the Senate); 7 reporters or journalists (1 in the Senate, 6 in the House); and 3 newspaper publishers in the House.
18 insurance agents or executives (3 in the Senate, 15 in the House) and 7 Members who have worked in the securities industry (all in the House.
1 artist, 1 book publisher, and 2 speechwriters (all in the House), and 2 documentary filmmakers in the Senate.
6 restaurateurs (5 in the House, 1 in the Senate), as well as 2 coffee shop and 1 wine store owners (all in the House), and 1 brewpub owner in the Senate.
27 farmers, ranchers, or cattle farm owners (6 in the Senate, 21 in the House); 1 almond orchard owner and vintner, as well as a forester and a fruit orchard worker (all in the House.
1 flight attendant and 4 pilots, all in the House, and 1 astronaut in the Senate
3 professional football players, 1 hockey player, 1 baseball player, and 1 mixed martial arts fighter (all in the House)
7 current members of the military reserves (6 in the House, 1 in the Senate) and 7 current members of the National Guard (all in the House).
Education
The vast majority of Members (93.8% of House Members and 100% of Senators) at the beginning of the 117th Congress have earned at least a bachelor’s degree. 67 % of House Members and 76% of Senators hold educational degrees beyond a bachelors.
22 Members of the House have no educational degree beyond a high school diploma or GE
5 Members of the House have associate’s degrees as their highest degrees
108 Members of the House and 18 Senators earned a master’s degree as their highest attained degrees.
144 Members of the House (32.7% of the House) and 50 Senators (50% of the Senate) hold law degrees
22 Representatives and 4 Senators have doctoral (Ph.D., D.Phil., Ed.D., or D. Min) degrees
20 Members of the House and 5 Senators have medical degrees.
3 Representatives and 1 Senator are graduates of the U.S. Military Academy
1 Senator graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
1 Representative graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy
1 Senator graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
5 Representatives and one Senator were Rhodes Scholars
2 Representatives were Fulbright Scholars
2 Representatives were Marshall Scholars
2 Representatives and one Senator were Truman Scholars
Congressional Service: 117th Congress
57 of the House Members (12.9% of the total House membership) had first been elected to the House in November 2020, and 9 of the Senators (9% of the total Senate membership) had first been elected to the Senate in November 2020.
131 House Members (29.7% of House Members) had no more than two years of House experience, and 18 Senators (18% of Senators) had no more than two years of Senate experience.
Religion
55.4% of Members (236 in the House, 58 in the Senate) are Protestant, with Baptist as the most represented denomination, followed by Methodist
29.8% of Members (134 in the House, 24 in the Senate) are Catholic
6.3% of Members (25 in the House, 9 in the Senate) are Jewish
1.7% of Members (6 in the House, 3 in the Senate) are Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
2 Members (1 in the House, 1 in the Senate) are Buddhist, 3 Representatives are Muslim, and 2 Representatives are Hindu
Gender
147 women Members (27.2% of the total membership) serve in the 117th Congress, 16 more than at the beginning of the 116th Congress
123 women, including 3 Delegates as well as the Resident Commissioner, serve in the House and 24 in the Senate
Of the 123 women in the House, 91 are Democrats, including 2 of the Delegates, and 32 are Republicans, including 1 Delegate as well as the Resident Commissioner
Of the 24 women in the Senate, 16 are Democrats and 8 are Republicans.
Ethnicity
African American Members
There are a record 61 African American Members (11.3% of the total membership) in the 117th Congress, 4 more than at the beginning of the 116th Congress
58 serve in the House, including two Delegates, and three serve in the Senate
56 of the African-American House Members, including two Delegates, are Democrats, and two are Republicans
2 of the Senators are Democrats and one is Republican.
27 African American women, including two Delegates, serve in Congress, all in the House.
Hispanic/Latino American Members
54 Hispanic or Latino Members in the 117th Congress, representing 10.0% of the total membership and a record number.
47 serve in the House, including two Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, and 7 in the Senate
Of the Members of the House, 34 are Democrats (including 2 Delegates) and 13 are Republicans (including the Resident Commissioner).
14 are women, including the Resident Commissioner. Of the 7 Hispanic Senators (3 Republicans, 4 Democrats), 1 is a woman.
Asian/Pacific Islander American Members
20 Members of the 117th Congress (3.8% of the total membership) are of Asian, South Asian, or Pacific Islander ancestry
18 of them (15 Democrats, 3 Republicans) serve in the House, and 2 (both Democrats) serve in the Senate
11 of the Asian, Pacific Islander, or South Asian American Members are female; 9 in the House, and 2 in the Senate
American Indian Members
6 American Indian (Native American) or Native Hawaiian Members of the 117th Congress: 3 of each party, all in the House, representing 1.1% of the total congressional membership, a record number.
Foreign Birth
28 Representatives and 5 Senators (6.1% of the 117th Congress) were born outside the United States; their places of birth include Canada, Cuba, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Peru, and India.
NOTE: The U.S. Constitution requires that Representatives be citizens for seven years and Senators be citizens for nine years before they take office.
Military Service
91 individuals (16.8% of the total membership) who had served or were serving in the military, fewer than at the beginning of the 116th Congress (96 Members).
75 veterans in the House (including 4 female Members, as well as 1 Delegate)
16 veterans in the Senate, including 2 women
6 House Members and one Senator are still serving in the reserves, and 7 House Members are still serving in the National Guard
2 of the 6 female veterans are combat veterans.
NOTE: According to the Military Times, the 117th Congress veterans’ numbers are at the “lowest since the start of World War II.”
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS); Pew Research Center; Congressional Quarterly (CQ)
And it appears to be radiating from the 116th Congress.
Ever since Congress swung open its doors in January, the new legislative body has been active advancing a progressive agenda, including stricter background checks for gun owners, climate change ("Green New Deal'), Medicare for All (single-payer health care), ramping up its oversight and investigations power on the activity of pharmacy benefit managers and health insurance mergers, while delivering a sharp rebuke to President Trump's proposal for funding the border wall in the southwestern area of the country.
Since the Democrats now control the House of Representatives for the first time since 2014, they are pursuing their progressive agenda with the wind at their back.
According to the Pew Research Center, more than one-in-five voting members (22 percent) of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are racial or ethnic minorities, making the 116th Congress the most racially and ethnically diverse in history.
The marked increase in minority representation in the House has benefited the Democrats by a wide margin. Of the 22 freshman representatives who are nonwhite, just one is a Republican (Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, who is Hispanic).
The overwhelming majority of racial and ethnic nonwhite members of the new Congress, moreover, are Democrats (90 percent), while just 10 are Republicans.
To get a sense of the diverse makeup of the 116th Congress, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) has compiled a membership profile of the new Congress.
What follows are some highlights of the report.
Membership Alignment
House of Representatives
239 Democrats (including 4 Delegates)
199 Republicans (including 1 Delegate and the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico), and 3 vacant seats.
Senate
53 Republicans
45 Democrats
2 Independents, who both caucus with the Democrats.
Age
The average age at the beginning of the 116th Congress was 57.6 years for Representatives and 62.9 years for Senators.
The youngest Representative in the 116th Congress, and the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress, is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), born October 13, 1989, who was 29 at the beginning of the 116th Congress.
The oldest Representative is Don Young (R-AK), born June 9, 1933, who was 85.
Keeping in mind that Senators must be at least 30 years old when they take office, the youngest Senator in the 116th Congress is Josh Hawley (R-MO), born December 31, 1979, who was 39 at the beginning of the Congress.
The oldest Senator in the 116th Congress is Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), born June 22, 1933, who was 85.
Professional Occupation
95 Members have worked in education, including teachers, professors, instructors, school fundraisers, counselors, administrators, or coaches (75 in the House, including 2 delegates, 20 in the Senate).
3 Physicians in the Senate, 13 physicians in the House, plus 5 Dentists and 3 Veterinarians.
2 Psychologists (all in the House), an Optometrist (in the Senate), a Pharmacist (in the House), and 2 Nurses and 1 Physician assistant (in the House).
7 Ordained Ministers, all in the House.
41 Former Mayors (34 in the House, 7 in the Senate).
13 Former State Governors (12 in the Senate, 1 in the House) and 7 Lieutenant Governors (4 in the Senate, 3 in the House).
16 former judges (all but 1 in the House) and 42 prosecutors (10 in the Senate, 32 in the House) who have served in city, county, state, federal, or military capacities.
2 Former Cabinet Secretaries (1 in each chamber), and 3 Ambassadors (all in the House).
3 Sheriffs, 1 Police Chief and 3 other police officers, 1 Firefighter, 3 CIA employees, and 1 FBI agent (all in the House).
3 Peace Corps volunteers, all in the House.
1 Physicist and 1 Chemist, both in the House.
11 Engineers (10 in the House and 1 in the Senate).
20 Public Relations or Communications Professionals (4 in the Senate, 16 in the House), and 10 Accountants (2 in the Senate and 8 in the House).
6 Software Company Executives in the House and 2 in the Senate.
19 Management Consultants (5 in the Senate, 14 in the House), 5 Car Cealership owners (all in the House), and 4 Venture Capitalists (2 in the House, 2 in the Senate).
12 Bankers or Bank Executives (3 in the Senate, 9 in the House), 29 veterans of the Real Estate Industry (4 in the Senate, 25 in the House), and 10 Members who have worked in the Construction Industry (1 in the Senate, 9 in the House).
6 Social Workers (2 in the Senate, 4 in the House) and 3 Union Representatives (all in the House).
13 Nonprofit Executives in the House.
3 Radio Talk Show Hosts (1 in the Senate, 2 in the House); 4 Radio or Television Broadcasters, Managers, or Owners (all in the House); 6 Reporters or Journalists (1 in the Senate, 5 in the House), a Public Television Producer in the House, and a Newspaper Publisher in each chamber.
21 Insurance Agents or Executives (4 in the Senate, 17 in the House) and 4 Members who have worked with stocks or bonds (all in the House).
1 Artist, 1 Book Publisher, and 2 Speechwriters (all in the House), and 1 Documentary Filmmaker in the Senate.
6 Restaurateurs (5 in the House, 1 in the Senate), as well as 2 Coffee Shop Owners, 1 Wine Store Owner, and 1 Whiskey Distiller (all in the House).
27 Farmers, Ranchers, or Cattle Farm Owners (5 in the Senate, 22 in the House).
1 Almond Orchard Owner and Vintner, as well as a Forester and a Fruit Orchard Worker (all in the House).
1 Flight Attendant and 1 Pilot, both in the House.
3 Professional Football Players, 1 Hockey player, 1 Baseball player, and 1 Mixed Martial arts fighter (all in the House)
9 current members of the Military Reserves (8 in the House, 1 in the Senate) and 7 current members of the National Guard (all in the House).
Education
17 Members of the House have no educational degree beyond a high school diploma.
6 Members of the House have associate’s degrees as their highest degrees.
99 Members of the House and 18 Senators earned a master’s degree as their highest attained degrees.
161 Members of the House (36.6% of the House) and 53 Senators (53 percent of the Senate) hold law degrees
21 Representatives and 4 Senators have doctoral (Ph.D., D.Phil., Ed.D., or D. Min) degrees.
21 Members of the House and 4 Senators have medical degrees.
5 Representatives and one Senator are graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, two Representatives and one Senator graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and one Senator graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
5 Representatives and one Senator were Rhodes Scholars, 2 Representatives were Fulbright Scholars, 2 Representatives were Marshall Scholars, and 2 Representatives and 1 Senator were Truman Scholars.
Religion
9 percent of Members (233 in the House, 60 in the Senate) are Protestant, with Baptist as the most represented denomination, followed by Methodist.
5 percent of Members (141 in the House, 22 in the Senate) are Catholic.
4 percent of Members (26 in the House, 8 in the Senate) are Jewish.
9 percent of Members (6 in the House, 4 in the Senate) are Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
2 Members (1 in the House, 1 in the Senate) are Buddhist, 3 Representatives are Muslim, and 3 Representatives are Hindu.
Other religious affiliations represented include Greek Orthodox, Pentecostal Christian, Unitarian Universalist, and Adventist.
Gender and Ethnicity
A record 131 women Members (24.2 percent of the total membership) serve in the 116th Congress, 22 more than at the beginning of the 115th Congress.
One hundred six women, including 3 Delegates as well as the Resident Commissioner, serve in the House and 25 in the Senate.
Of the 106 women in the House, 91 are Democrats, including 2 of the Delegates, and 15 are Republicans, including 1 Delegate as well as the Resident Commissioner.
Of the 25 women in the Senate, 17 are Democrats and 8 are Republicans.
African American Members
There are a record 58 African American Members (10.7 percent of the total membership) in the 116th Congress, 6 more than at the beginning of the 115th Congress.
55 serve in the House, including two Delegates, and three serve in the Senate.
54 of the African American House Members, including two Delegates, are Democrats, and 1 is a Republican.
2 of the Senators are Democrats and 1 is Republican.
24 African American women, including 2 Delegates, serve in the House, and 1 serves in the Senate.
Hispanic/Latino American Members
There are 50 Hispanic or Latino Members in the 116th Congress, 9.2 percent of the total membership and a record number.
45 serve in the House, including two delegates and the Resident Commissioner, and 5 in the Senate.
Of the Members of the House, 37 are Democrats (including 2 Delegates) and 8 are Republicans (including the Resident Commissioner).
14 are women, including the Resident Commissioner.
Of the 5 Hispanic Senators (three Republicans, two Democrats), 1 is a woman.
Asian/Pacific Islander American Members
A record 20 Members of the 116th Congress (3.8 percent of the total membership) are of Asian, South Asian, or Pacific Islander ancestry.
17 of them (16 Democrats, 1 Republican) serve in the House, and 3 (all Democrats) serve in the Senate.
10 of the Asian, Pacific Islander, or South Asian American Members are female: 7 in the House, and all 3 in the Senate.
American Indian Members
There are 4 American Indian (Native American) Members of the 116th Congress; 2 of each party, all in the House.
Foreign Birth
24 Representatives and 5 Senators (5.3 percent of the 116th Congress) were born outside the United States. Their places of birth include Canada, Cuba, Ecuador, Germany, Japan, Peru, and India.
Military Service
At the beginning of the 116th Congress, there were 96 individuals (17.8 percent of the total membership) who had served or were serving in the military, 6 fewer than at the beginning of the 115th Congress (102 Members).
The House as of January 2019 had 78 veterans (including 4 female Members, as well as 1 Delegate); the Senate had 18 veterans, including 3 women.
8 House Members and 1 Senator are still serving in the reserves, while 7 House Members are still serving in the National Guard. 4 of the seven female veterans are combat veterans.
A photo on Ralph Northam's page in the Eastern Virginia Medical School's 1984 yearbook
Source: Eastern Virginia Medical School
This 1942 poster, titled "This is the Enemy," circulated in the United States following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
**
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) must feel like he’s riding aimlessly on an old dilapidated raft in an ocean of impending peril, circled by ravenous sharks, anxiously waiting their next feeding.
It’s just a matter of time before he’s devoured.
The 73rd governor of the Old Dominion is being strongly encouraged to resign after pictures from his Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook (1984) emerged showing one person in a black face, another in a KKK robe.
Northam, as widely reported, initially admitted being in the photo; but later retracted his statement, saying that it’s not him in the photo, after studying the photo in more detail.
The Virginia governor, however, does admit to once polishing his face black to make him appear as the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, for a dance competition.
What’s striking about this furor, calling for Northam to resign, is that it happened 30 years ago before he entered the political arena.
Admittedly, polishing your face black, no matter the circumstances, is hard to ignore or downplay as mere youthful indiscretion.
The entire picture is appalling, tasteless, and difficult to look at.
Still, we don’t have to go back in history very far to think of the dumb and insensitive acts people have committed in their youth; only to change course, evolve as they got older, and blaze a new path in their professional careers, far removed from their reckless past.
Racist blunders from politicians isn't uncommon in U.S. 20th century history. From Richard Nixon's endemic anti-Semitism (captured on White House tapes), former Mississippi Senator Trent Lott’s praise for Strom Thurmond’s racist 1948 campaign to Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell posing in front of a Confederate flag (in the early 1990s) have been well documented.
What’s even more interesting is that some of America’s most liberal lions had a racist past; but historians, for the most part, have swept them under the rug for fear it would damage their political legacy.
Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W. Va), a child from Appalachia’s coalfields, in the 1940's, long before he entered the political arena, recruited 150 of his friends and associates to form a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan in Crab Orchard, W.Va. Byrd's affiliation with the Klan remained until 1952.
Returning to West Virginia after World War II, he wrote a letter to one of the Senate's most notorious segregationists, Theodore Bilbo (D-Miss.), complaining about the Truman administration's efforts to integrate the military.
Even during his political career when he renounced the Klan and all it stood for-his racism still clung to Byrd.
In 1964, he joined with other southern Democrats to oppose the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The W. Va. senator filibustered the bill for more than 14 hours, arguing it violated principles of states' rights. Three years later, he voted against the nomination of Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court, a black Solicitor General of the United States.
Interestingly, over time, Byrd’s views on race evolved; so that by the time he died in 2010, he was hailed as not only the longest-serving member of the Senate and longest-serving member of Congress in American history, but one of the liberal icons of the U.S. Senate who became a strong advocate for the working class, ensuring accessibility to health care and greater educational and employment opportunities for constituents back home in W. Va.
Speaking at his funeral in 2010, President Obama said " We know there were things he [Robert Byrd] said, things he did, that he came to regret." “I remember," Obama continued, "talking about that the first time I visited with him. There were things I regretted in my youth. You may know that.’ I said, ‘None of us are absent some regrets, Senator. That’s why we enjoy and seek the grace of God.’ … Robert Byrd possessed that quintessential American quality — the capacity to change, to learn, to listen, to be made more perfect.”
In 1936, 18 African American athletes left the Berlin Olympics with 14 medals. None of them, including Jesse Owens (who came away with four medals) were invited to the White House. Only the white Olympians were invited by President Franklin Roosevelt.
Photo Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
***
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, another liberal lion, who guided America through the Great Depression to a miraculous national recovery; then boldly joining with our allies to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, is often considered one of the greatest presidents to have occupied the White House during his 12 years in office.
But through all the valiant tributes and glorious adorations heaped on FDR by historians, little about his blatant racism is ever discussed.
In 1936, Jesse Owens, an Alabama native, (son of a sharecropper) and Cleveland, Ohio high school and Ohio State University track star, made America proud by winning four gold medals, equaling the world record (10.3 seconds) in the 100-meter race and broke the world records in the 200-meter race (20.7 seconds) and in the broad jump (26 feet 5 3/8 inches).
In 1936, in fact, 18 African American athletes left the Berlin Olympics with 14 medals, a quarter of the total medals won by the U.S. team that summer.
FDR might be remembered for the New Deal; but he gave Jesse Owens and other black Olympians the Raw Deal, by not inviting any of them to the White House. Only white Olympians were invited to the White House. Roosevelt, the “all we have to fear is fear itself,” U.S. President didn’t even send Owens a telegram for his heroic achievement in Berlin. Possibly, Roosevelt feared a backlash from voters. Owens told reporters, “Hitler didn’t snub me; it was our president who snubbed me."
It was 80 years later, that President Obama (in September, 2016) cleaned up FDR’s mess by inviting relatives of the 16 men and two female black athletes of 1936 Olympics to the White House, where they finally received their long overdue recognition by a U.S. president.
FDR’s racism reared its ugly head, yet again, during World War II when he issued Executive Order 9066, which sent 120,000 Japanese expatriates and American citizens of Japan to internment camps. This unconscionable act led to abrupt expulsions, mass detentions and the persecution of thousands, based solely on their ethnicity.
The internment of Japanese Americans was carried out despite the fact that two secret investigations commissioned by Roosevelt himself confirmed that Japanese Americans posed no threat to national security.
Taken together, over 100,000 Japanese Americans were confined to grimy and unlivable concentration camps, which included some Japanese being stripped of property, separated from families, along with a number of deaths due to the appalling conditions of the camps.
President Johnson was known to use racist epithets in private conversation.
***
Lyndon Johnson, the gregarious Texan and 36th U.S. President, aside from dragging the United States deeper and deeper into the morass in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, is best remembered for the Great Society, a series of domestic programs whose chief objective was the elimination of poverty and racial injustice in the United States. His ambitious domestic agenda included improvements in education, medical care, urban decay, rural poverty, and transportation, among others.
Johnson is additionally remembered for bringing the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 to fruition.
What’s generally overlooked is LBJ’s frequent derogatory term for blacks when talking with colleagues or White House cabinet members.
According to Robert Dallek’s book, "Lone Star Rising: Lyndon Johnson and His Times" (1991), when LBJ was discussing the appointment of Thurgood Marshall as associate justice of the Supreme Court, he told an aide in 1965, "Son, when I appoint a nigger to the court, I want everyone to know he's a nigger."
Another time, as reported in Ronald Kessler's book, "Inside the White House (1996)," when discussing the virtues of his 1964 Civil Rights Bill, Johnson supposedly told two governors (their names were omitted), "I'll have them niggers voting Democratic for two hundred years."
So, it’s puzzling that liberal icons like Robert Byrd, FDR and LBJ’s shameless racism are forgiven or barely mentioned--while someone like Ralph Northam watches his political career go up in flames for acting foolishly for one snapshot in his wayward youth.
Northam seems about as much of a racist as Prince Harry is a Nazi, for foolishly dressing up in a Nazi uniform (in 2005) for a costume party.
Much like Robert Byrd, I think Ralph Northam should be allowed to prove his liberal chops in the here and now, instead of judging the man on one foolish act before, long before, he ever became governor of Virginia.
The embattled Virginia governor, after all, while campaigning for governor, reaffirmed his call for Confederate statues and monuments in the state to be taken down and moved into museums. "That means," Northam reportedly said, "memorializing civil rights advocates like Barbara Johns and Oliver Hill, who helped move our Commonwealth closer towards equality."
Northam also said that "Virginia should do more to elevate the parts of our history that have all too often been underrepresented."
During his State of the Commonwealth Address delivered on January 9th, the new governor of the Old Dominion said, "we're a state that supports our veterans, embraces diversity and inclusion, and attracts visitors from around the world. We work every day to make sure that Virginia is a place of opportunity, where everyone can build the life they want to live."
Unfortunately for Northam, the standard bearers of the Democratic Party, like Nancy Pelosi, are using the Virginia Governor as a political football-hoping to score some quick political points with liberals while ignoring that fact some people in this country are permitted the freedom to evolve, and to be judged on what they’ve accomplished during their long arduous journey through the political landscape.
In 1856, Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner was severely beaten on the Senate floor by Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina.
***
Is the United States headed for another Civil War?
After reading Yale historian Joanne B. Freeman’s magnificent book, “Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War,” I was stunned to learn just how much physical violence took place within the halls of Congress before the Civil War, especially during the 36th Congress (1859-1861).
Through her scrupulous research, Freeman reports that between 1830-1860, there were 70 violent incidents between congressmen in the House and Senate chambers, nearby streets, and dueling meeting grounds. Freeman, moreover, found clashes involving canings, fistfights, brandished pistols, and brick throwing, among others.
Most students of U.S. political history are well aware of the most infamous act of violence in the U.S. Congress.
On May 22, 1856, Rep. Preston Brooks (D-S.C.), viciously struck Sen. Charles Sumner (R-Mass.) in the head with a cane while he was sitting at his desk in the Senate chamber, leaving the Massachusetts senator semiconscious and near death, soon after Sumner delivered his famous “Crime Against Kansas” speech, in which he argued that Kansas should be admitted to the union as a free state. Sumner's inflammatory speech was a harsh indictment on the spread of slavery, while attacking several senators by name, including Andrew Butler of South Carolina.
Freeman presents scores of other physical clashes on the House floor and on the streets of Washington.
On April 17, 1850, during a debate on the Compromise of 1850, Sen. Henry S. Foote, D-Miss., a supporter of the compromise, pulled a pistol from his coat after Sen. Thomas Hart Benton, D-Mo. rose from his desk and stormed toward him. Senate colleagues grabbed Foote and wrestled him to the ground. A motion was made to censure Foote, but failed to move beyond the committee level.
Shortly before 2 a.m. on February 6, 1858, Pennsylvania Republican Galusha Grow and South Carolina Democrat Laurence Keitt exchanged a series of insults, then blows during debate over the Kansas Territory’s pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution. "In an instant the House was in the greatest possible confusion,” the Congressional Globe reported. More than 30 Members joined the melee. Sergeant-at-Arms Adam J. Glossbrenner was instructed to use mace in order to restore order to the House. In one comical twist to the melee, Wisconsin Republicans John “Bowie Knife” Potter and Cadwallader Washburn ripped the hairpiece from the head of William Barksdale, a Democrat from Mississippi.
According to Freeman, fights and brawls became so frequent, that many congressmen strapped guns and knives each morning before heading off to the nation’s capital. Ever since the Sumner canings, Northern congressmen were strongly encouraged to arm themselves. Freeman documented more than a dozen fights in the 36th Congress.
Freeman’s Field of Blood couldn’t have been published at a more timely moment in U.S. history.
160 years ago, the country was split down the middle over slavery. Having abolished slavery, Northerners sought to prevent its spread; the South was determined to assert its right to hold slaves. With no compromise in sight, war was the only solution. The Civil War was America’s bloodiest conflict with roughly two percent of the population, an estimated 620,000 men, losing their lives in the line of duty.
When I think of the deep, spiteful divisions that gripped the country over slavery, I wonder if the sharp division over immigration in 2018 will have a similar harmful effect, to such an extent that it irreparably rips the country in two?
Back in July, a Gallup poll showed that immigration was the most important issue gripping the country with 22 percent of Americans citing it as the top problem.
The above video of a melee breaking out, isn’t from the United States Congress, it’s actually from the Mexican Congress.
But a similar brawl taking place in the U.S. Congress might be just around the corner, especially if the vitriol and toxic political climate we’re living in doesn’t simmer down.
Civility and comprise, after all, have left the building. We longer have the likes of John McCain and Ted Kennedy to engineer a grand bargain.
In Field of Blood, readers learned that Congress suffered a crushing blow when Daniel Webster and Henry Clay passed away in 1852, which reflected in Freeman’s mind the “passing of the spirit of compromise along with a passing of a generation.”
Congress might not come to blows in their respective chambers in the present 115th congress. Rather, their weapons of choice are to spew venom and vitriol through social media, especially Twitter.
Internet users are subjected to daily doses of anti-immigration vs pro-immigration rants, not only from congress members themselves but from their growing legion of supporters, spewing more hatred, demonizing opponents, and placing the country into a damaging specter of tribal warfare with little room for mutual agreement.
To me, the animus taking place on social media is just a 21st century version of the pistols, knives, and bricks that Congress used to bully their opponents with in the 19th century on the eve of the U.S. Civil War.
Another glowing similarity between the political climate in the slavery debate and the immigration debate is the role of the press.
In Field of Blood, Freeman chronicles the highly partisan nature of newspapers at the time of the slavery debate. It wouldn’t be uncommon for Southern papers, for example, to report Northerners were the aggressors, and the Southerners were the calm voice of reason throughout the crisis. Newspapers and congressmen often struck deals to present Washington to its constituents back home as it needed to be presented. “Newspapers at the time,” Freeman wrote, “weren’t into truth telling.”
Reporters not into truth telling could just as easily be said about a number of news outlets of this present generation from Fox News to MSNBC to all the partisan blogs flooding the Internet, including Daily Kos, Red State, Breitbart News, or Mother Jones.
“With malice toward none, with charity for all,'' Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, fell from the heavens at just the right time to heal the nation during one of the most tumultuous times in the nation's history.
As the nation, the U.S. Congress, and the American voters, come to terms with the present crisis of immigration, many are looking for the leader who will bridge the great divide tearing this country into smithereens before another Civil War takes place.
With Sen. Edward Kennedy having passed away nearly 10 years ago, and the tragedy of Chappaquiddick nearly 50 years old, you’d think the scandal that erupted after that muggy July weekend in 1969 would be but a distant memory by now.
But like a bad check, it has returned.
Thanks to director John Curran, the motion picture “Chappaquiddick” (written by Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan) and produced by Entertainment Studios, hits theaters nationwide on April 6.
The film explores the mysterious events surrounding the drowning of Mary Jo Kopechne (played by Kate Mara) after Ted Kennedy (Jason Clarke) drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Mass., landing upside down in eight feet of water.
According to published reports, Curran avoids indicting or absolving Kennedy in the film. After depicting the facts of the case, the New York born director and screenwriter leaves it up to the audience to draw their own conclusions.
What exactly happened at Chappaquiddick?
The Chappaquiddick incident couldn’t have come at a worse time for Ted Kennedy, who was only 37 at the time. His star was rising in the U.S. Senate and was being heavily favored by most public opinion polls as the candidate most likely to be nominated by the Democratic Party for the 1972 presidential election.
But then, in a blink of an eye, his hopes and dreams were shattered on that fateful July weekend in 1969, just two days before the Apollo 11 Moon Landing.
Ted Kennedy's submerged 1967 Oldsmobile and a picture of Mary Jo Kopechne who drowned in the car. She was 28.
***
On the weekend of July 18-19, 1969, Sen. Kennedy invited six women who had worked for his late brother Robert to attend a reunion at the annual Edgartown Yacht Club Regatta race (a sail boating race) to honor their supervisor, Dave Hackett.
The party or cookout (after the race) took place at a rented cottage on Chappaquiddick Island, accessible by ferry from the town of Edgartown on the nearby larger island, Martha's Vineyard.
The party was attended by six married men (including Sen. Kennedy) and six unmarried women.
Sometime during the evening on July 18, Sen. Kennedy claimed he wanted to head back to the Shiretown Inn in Edgartown.
According to testimony, one of the campaign workers at the reunion, Mary Jo Kopechne, 28, feeling tired, expressed to Mr. Kennedy that she would like to catch a ride with him so that she could catch the ferry, which was closing at midnight.
For reasons never fully explained, Kopechne, left behind her purse and hotel room key at the cottage. She also never informed anyone that she was leaving.
After the young campaign worker hopped into the car with the senator, what exactly took place over the next few hours is a matter of speculation.
Kennedy maintained that they were driving toward the ferry but made the wrong turn on Dike Road (an unlit, dirt road) that led to Dike Bridge. Moments before reaching the bridge, according to his testimony, he slammed on the brakes, before driving off a side of the bridge, landing upside down in eight feet of water of Poucha Pond.
Many question the “wrong road’’ scenario, reasoning that it would be virtually impossible to have turned on Dike Road without immediately being aware of the mistake.
The biggest shroud of mystery centers on why it took the senator nearly 10 hours to report the accident?
He testified that he made seven or eight attempts to dive into the water to rescue Kopechne but had trouble breathing. So, he began walking and running for help, but couldn’t make out any shapes and was only able to stay on the road from the silhouettes of the trees.
But evidence subsequently emerged that Kennedy would have, in fact, come across at least three lit cottages (only 500 feet from the bridge) where he could have asked for help.
Kennedy described that night as a "jumble of emotions-grief, fear, doubt, exhaustion, panic, confusion, and shock.”
According to medical reports, he suffered a concussion.
The fire department dispatched a diver, Capt. John Farrar, to recover the body submerged in the pond. He told reporters, she, [Kopechne] "was in what I call a very conscious position, meaning she’d been alive and functional after the car had entered the water, roof first. Her head was at the floorboards, where the last bit of air would have been. It seems likely she was holding herself into a pocket of air to breathe.”
The diver thought the car Kennedy was driving “must have been going at a pretty good clip to land almost in the middle of the channel.” He also said that had he been called soon after the accident, “there was a good chance the girl could have been saved.”
Kopechne’s body was recovered at 8:45 a.m., the morning after the accident.
Edgartown Police Chief Jim Arena, filed a complaint in Edgartown District Court, charging Kennedy with “leaving the scene of an accident without negligence involved.” The special prosecutor, in his report, stressed that Kennedy had been driving “with extreme caution” at the time of the accident.
More alarm bells were set off when it was learned that an associate medical examiner took less than five minutes to determine Kopechne’s “death by drowning,” while never fully undressing her, and never turning her body over from front to back. He said no autopsy was needed.
The chief medical examiner who was off duty at the time of the drowning, told reporters that there was no conclusive evidence of death by drowning. Contradicting the associate medical examiner, he said, “we don’t know if the girl died of a heart attack, stroke, or from drowning.”
Within hours of Kopechne's death, K. Dun Gifford, a Kennedy aide, flew a chartered plane into Edgartown (the Martha's Vineyard town of which Chappaquiddick is a part), with orders to get her body off the island, beyond the state’s jurisdiction.
When Kennedy finally did arrive at the Shiretown Inn (after swimming or paddling a boat through the 500-foot channel), he reportedly made 12 calls from a pay phone before giving his statement to police.
Cynics question if the senator was really in a state of “exhaustion, panic, confusion, and shock,” how could he have made so many phone calls?
In 1969, Senator Edward M. Kennedy and his wife, Joan, after a court appearance on the Chappaquiddick Island car accident. Photo Credit: Librado Romero/The New York Times
***
Since it took the senator more than a week to address the tragedy in public, rumors about the accident were running wild, including rumors that Mary Jo Kopechne was pregnant and the car plunging off the bridge was no accident. Others picked up whispers that Joseph Gargan, a Kennedy cousin, was initially willing to take the rap for Ted Kennedy.
There was also the "third girl in the car'' theory advanced, which suggests that Rosemary (“Cricket”) Keough, one of the girls who attended the cookout, was in the car with Kennedy, and Kopechene was sleeping in the backseat. When the car was recovered, Keough's handbag was found in the car.
Deputy Sheriff Christopher "Huck" Look acting as a special officer for a private party the night of the accident, came forth with testimony that between 12:30 a.m. and 12:45 a.m. he noticed a dark car approaching the intersection of Dike Road. The car, according to Look, was driven by a man with a female passenger in the front seat. The car drove onto the private Cemetery Road and stopped. He thought they were lost and approached the car. The driver then put the car in reverse and headed east toward the ocean (not the ferry), along Dike Road. The Deputy Sheriff said he did catch a glimpse of the license plate of the car, which he thought began with an "L" and contained two "7's, which did indeed match Kennedy's license plate number: L78-207.
Look reportedly said he saw "a man driving . . . someone next to him" and possibly (although he wasn't 100 percent sure)"someone else in the back seat."
Look's testimony punched damaging holes in Kennedy's testimony that they were headed for the ferry. It also contradicts the time element, suggesting that Kennedy had been with Kopechene for more than an hour before the car plunged off the bridge.
On the 25th anniversary of Chappaquiddick, the BBC developed a theory that when Kennedy was driving Kopechne, he noticed an off-duty police officer in his patrol car. Alarmed that the officer may question why he’s in the car with a young beautiful woman, Kennedy got out of the car and returned to the party. And it was Kopechne who then took over the wheel of the car before driving off the bridge. For those who subscribe to this theory, this would account for the long gap between the drowning and when Kennedy reported the incident to police.
Whatever conspiracy theory anyone clung to, the end result was that on July 25, 1969, Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. He received a two-month suspended sentence, and had his license suspended for a year.
The Massachusetts senator resumed his senatorial duties at the end of July, 1969.
Case closed.
Though the circumstances surrounding the drowning was never prosecuted, the younger brother of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy was never able to carry the torch of the Kennedy legacy that would propel him into the White House.
Ted Kennedy did go on to have a remarkable career in the United States Senate as the “Liberal Lion,” rising to senior Democratic Party member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; the Immigration Subcommittee; and the Armed Services Committee. In 2006, Time Magazine named him as one of America’s top 10 senators.
Still, Chappaquiddick forever hung over him like a dark, ominous cloud.
The Chappaquiddick scandal ultimately derailed his attempt to unseat Jimmy Carter for the Democratic nomination in 1980. After losing 24 primaries to Carter (he won 10) Kennedy dropped out of the race, never to throw his hat into the ring again.
To get a sense of the newspaper coverage Ted Kennedy received in the weeks and months after Chappaquiddick, I gathered some snippets of columns in 1969 from a variety of newspapers.
Press Reacts to Chappaquiddick
"For the third time in less than six years, sudden death has touched the Kennedy family and thereby altered everyone's picture of the American political future." -David S. Broder, The Washington Post, July 27, 1969
"One need only to look at what the handsome Massachusetts senator has been, or might be, accused of to realize that once all the legal questions are cared for the important accusations against Kennedy will probably be the kind that never get tried in any place but the court of public opinion." --Carl Rowan, Chicago Sun-Times, September 7, 1969
"Every passing day for the last seven weeks Edward Kennedy has been faced with a dilemma more cruel and oppressive than it was the day before. For it has become increasingly likely that for him to survive in public life and be allowed merely to serve what he regards as the continuing causes of his dead brothers-let alone achieve the Presidency--there can be no escaping a candid and complete account of his behavior before and after the accident on Chappaquiddick Island in which Mary Jo Kopechne drowned."
--Joseph Lelyveld, New York Times, September 7, 1969
"Instead of a more complete explanation that might wipe away those doubts, Kennedy has chosen silence--amid hope by some of his supporters that time will erase memories of the tragedy. Therein lies Kennedy's political trap. His refusal to talk will receive nationwide exposure at the inevitable first confrontation between Kennedy and the press. That can only multiply suspicions that there was something to hide on Martha's Vineyard." --Rowland Evans and Robert Novak, Los Angeles Times, August 1, 1969
"If the political consequences of Edward Kennedy's personal difficulties prove as disastrous for him as seems indicated, the likelihood of his being the Democratic nominee for President in 1972 is greatly diminished and perhaps destroyed. This could have extraordinary consequences for American politics." --Tom Wicker, The New York Times, July 27, 1969
"The power of genuine tragedy, as defined by Aristotle and understood by every later generation, lies in its demonstration that even the mighty and powerful among us are, because they are mortal and have flaws, liable to suffer judgements that no human standard of justice would impose." --David S. Broder, The Washington Post, July 31, 1969.
The real test is not really here in a courtroom in Edgartown or in the Supreme Judicial Court in Boston. What is at stake here is the public man's credibility--whether the public really believes that Sen. Kennedy has leveled with them in this case." --Robert Healy, The Boston Globe, September 3, 1969
"The other Bostonian, Ralph Waldo Emerson, would have been intrigued by the Kennedy triumphs and the Kennedy tragedies. In his essay on the duality of life, he argued that every human excess causes a defect, and every defect an excess; every good an evil; for everything you have missed, a gain, and everything you have gained, a loss." --James Reston, The New York Times, August 15, 1969
"Whatever the answers, one can reasonably conclude that Kennedy-by his own words-showed that in this episode, at age 37, he could not command himself in a critical situation. It was bad luck for him, perhaps, to have been in a dazed condition and to have to rely on sycophants like Markham and Gargan for counsel during those horrible hours. Too bad there wasn't a hard-nosed guy around to coldly tell Teddy the score. It is also clear that the power of the Kennedy name and wealth provided a treatment by the law which ordinary citizens don't enjoy. Big names cow small-town cops." --Nick Thimmesch, Newsday, August 1, 1969
"What he now faces is a very long struggle. His assets are his name, his talents and his wealth. His liabilities are Chappaquiddick. He will now have to make it more or less on his own. Chappaquiddick having apparently broken the natural line of succession. If, over the next four or five or ten years, he is able to show by his achievements a sobriety of purpose, a strategic manliness, a sense of destiny and resolution, then he will transcend the affair” [of July 18 ]. --William F. Buckley Jr., Los Angeles Times, September 22, 1969
"Kennedy will come back with the passage of time. Someday he will be effective again in the Senate debates that he will have to pass up in the immediate future. Until then, however, there are painful reminders that one of the voices which carried some authority in the Senate won't be effective." --Reg Murphy, the Atlanta Constitution, July 31, 1969
"Like all strong men whom an unkind fate forces to traverse the valley of the shadow, the senator himself further seems to have gained in strength and self-knowledge. If the present chapter ends as seems most likely, he will thus appear in the next chapter as a major leader of very special promise. And if one may look ahead, a major leader is likely to be badly needed in 1976." --Joseph Alsop, Los Angeles Times, November 4, 1969
***
Chappaquiddick Facts
"Chappaquiddick" is an Indian word that means “separate island."
The automobile Ted Kennedy was driving the night of the accident was a 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88. License Plate Number: L78 207 .
Mary Jo Kopechne’s blood-alcohol level at the time of death was determined to be .09 percent.
Edgartown Police Chief Jim Arena took a written statement from Kennedy after the accident. He never administered a test as to determine whether he had been drinking.
Ed Hanify, Kennedy's lawyer, made arrangements to have the senator's car destroyed by a compactor. Mary Jo's clothing that she had worn that night—including a blouse that had bloodstains on the back—was burned.
Senator Ted Kennedy's televised address (July 25th) to the nation in 1969 was delivered in the library of his father's house. The speech was written chiefly by Ted Sorenson, President John F. Kennedy’s principle speechwriter.
In addition to Mary Jo Kopechne's, the other women at the party on the night of the accident were: Susan Tannenbaum, Esther Newberg, and Rosemary Keough. Two others, Maryellen and Nance Lyons, arrived the next day. They were known as "Boiler Room Girls," for working the phone room (boiler room) for delegate counts during Bobby Kennedy's 1968 ill-fated presidential run.
Also present at the party were Kennedy's cousin, Joseph Gargan, and Paul F. Markham, previously, a U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, Attorney Charles Tretter, Raymond La Rosa, and John Crimmins (Kennedy's part-time driver).
The people who gathered at the Kennedy compound (Hyannis Port, Mass.) after the tragedy were: Ethel Kennedy, Harvard Prof. Arthur Schlesinger, Stephen Smith (business and campaign manager to Kennedy), former Sec. of Defense, Robert McNamara, Theodore Sorensen, Burke Marshall (Kennedy family lawyer), and Richard Goodwin (speech writer to the Kennedy's).
Kopechne remained in the car until her body was recovered by a Fire Department diver at 8:45 the next morning.
When Kennedy reported the accident to the Edgartown police, it was 9:45 a.m. -- some nine or 10 hours after he left Kopechne in his car.
Ted Kennedy's wife, Joan Bennett Kennedy, suffered her third miscarriage a month after the incident at Chappaquiddick.
The Kopechnes family reportedly received a financial settlement of $140,923 through a Kennedy insurer.
NOTE: I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the kind folks at ProQuest for allowing me to access the Los Angeles Times Historic Archives. Thanks too to Rick Mastroianni, Research and Library Director, at the Newseum, for providing me with some historic pdfs from 1969.
Teachers and staff of Clifton Independent School District in Clifton, Texas take the Concealed Handgun Permit training from Big Iron. Big Iron is owned and operated by Johnny Price. February 7, 2013.
Photo Credit : Lance Rosenfield/Prime
***
Here’s a disturbing statistic.
Since 2013, there have been more than 300 school shootings in America — an average of about one a week, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization backed by billionaire and former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg,
Troubling, indeed.
So, what’s our best line of defense to protect students from active shooters, such as the horrific tragedy which took place at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.?
To hear President Donald Trump tell it, he would like to see some “highly trained” teachers armed with guns. “We have to harden our schools, not soften them,” the president said.
How realistic is such a proposal?
Not very.
At least not according to a number of gun and school safety experts I reached out to. Even if teachers were “highly trained” how accurate would they be in cutting down approaching assailants?
One way to measure such a scenario would be to take a hard look at the accuracy rate of police officers, highly trained officers, that is, when they’re confronted with a hostile situation.
According to William Lewinski, a psychologist and the founder of the Force Science Institute Ltd , a company that studies human behavior in high stress situations, the accuracy of police officers when discharging a gun is somewhere between 15 and 45 percent.
"Remember," Lewinski told me, "most officer shootings occur at a distance of less than 15 feet." “Generally, the hit rate varies as well with the quality, duration and frequency of instruction as does any psychomotor skill that is performed under stressful circumstances,” Lewinski said.
If highly trained police officers have an accuracy rate between 15 and 45 percent, do we really expect our teachers, with tons of other things on their plate, to perform equal or better than law enforcement officers?
"Considering the universally very short time of instruction required for concealed carry permits (6-14 hours) and the limited range times to practice," Lewinsky points out, "we do not expect civilians to even come close to the officer's hit rate. This would be particularly true when matching a handgun with a rifle."
In addition to the steep hill armed teachers would have to climb to protect students, what about the liability issue?
Lewinsky argues that "every time someone has a gun, there not only is the liability issue involved in appropriate use of firearm, such as a parent suing the school division for a teacher shooting their armed and dangerous child, but also the decision errors we are sure to get. "
The liability concern if teachers were armed with guns is echoed by John Donohue, a Stanford University law professor, economist, and gun violence researcher, who stresses the proposals of arming teachers with guns are so troubling that many insurance companies have increased school insurance rates or cancelled policies altogether.
Donohue is also quick to point out the "FBI analyzed 160 cases of active shooters over the period from 2000-2013, and not one was stopped by a concealed carry permit holder who was not active duty military, a security guard, or a police officer. 21 were stopped by unarmed civilians."
Another factor to consider: aren't we putting students into even more danger, if these teachers lack the skills of highly trained professionals in law enforcement?
Just last week, for example, a high school teacher in Monterey Calif., accidentally shot off a gun during a public safety session in class. Thankfully, no serious injuries occurred.
Lewinsky said the Force Institute is currently reviewing about eight police departments in which they discovered over 300 unintentional discharges of a handgun in training, performance or maintenance functions. “Over the years these have resulted in many injuries and some deaths,” Lewinsky says.
Before even debating such a drastic measure as arming teachers with guns, shouldn’t we be asking teachers themselves how they feel about such a proposal?
A recent Gallup Poll , shows that nearly three-quarters of U.S. school teachers oppose the idea of training certain teachers and staff to carry guns in school buildings, while six in 10 teachers think it would make schools less safe, and about seven in 10 teachers think carrying guns would not effectively limit the number of victims in the event of a shooting.
Similarly, according to Lily Eskelsen García, President of the National Education Association (NEA), writing in a press release : “The idea of arming teachers is ill-conceived, preposterous, and dangerous…arming teachers and other school personnel does nothing to prevent gun violence. In fact, quite the contrary, educators would feel less safe if school personnel were armed."
In addition to the wide concern over arming teachers with guns, some federal laws already in place, might already pose an obstacle.
The Gun-Free School Zones Act, for instance, generally prohibits individuals from knowingly possessing firearms on school grounds. Though, this act doesn't apply if someone is licensed by a state or locality to possess a firearm.
Another issue that needs serious consideration is who is going to pay (and how much will it cost) for teachers to be trained and armed with guns?
The Washington Post’s sharp analysis reports that it would cost anywhere from $250 million to $1 billion to arm one-fifth of all teachers (President Trump clarified that he thought 20 percent of the most adept teachers should be armed).
Further, how many schools and teachers are we talking about?
Data from the Department of Education, indicates there are an estimated 3.1 million public schools and 400,000 private-school teachers in the United States. In total, there are about 3.6 million teachers.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), at least right now, doesn’t provide grants for purchasing firearms for teachers.
There are, however, some social welfare organizations, who train school personnel, such as the Ohio-based Faculty/Administrator Safety Training & Emergency Response program (FASTER) run by the Buckeye Firearms Foundation.
The program is reportedly free for teachers, since it's funded by corporate and individual donors. It includes 26 hours of training over three days, which will “allow teachers, administrators, and other personnel on-site to stop school violence rapidly and render medical aid immediately.”
The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) , a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, allows grants to be used for active shooter training. But according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), it’s not entirely clear if grants can be used to train teachers
Another option for funding, would be for Congress to consider expanding the authorization under the Matching Grant Program for Armor Vests in order to allow school districts to apply for funding to help offset the cost of purchasing armor vests for teachers.
Clearly, pitching ideas over how best to make schools safer and too prevent more school shootings, is paved with good intentions. The idea (proposed by President Trump) of arming teachers with guns, however, no matter how well trained they are, doesn’t appear to be an idea worth pursuing, largely because overwhelming research indicates it would be counterproductive with unintended consequences.
A group of teachers who recently took to the streets to push for an increase in classroom resources -- not the ability to carry guns in school--held up a sign which read: "Arm Me with Books."
In all the proposals advanced so far, that sounds the most logical.
Teachers, to be sure, have a monumental task in educating children, including preparing them for the future and helping them realize their full potential, taking up arms, should never be one of those roles.
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) reports that 19 states allow anyone with permission from a school authority to possess a firearm on school grounds.
Five states allow anyone with a concealed carry permit to possess a firearm on school grounds.
New Hampshire allows anyone, except for students in certain circumstances, to possess a firearm on school grounds.
Missouri allows people with a concealed carry license to have a firearm on school grounds if approved by the school authority.
Wyoming allows school staff to carry a firearm if they have permission from the school authority.
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
Congress convenes for opening session of the 115th Congress. Photo Credit: Washington Post
***
The 115th Congress has been in session since January 4, and has been raring to go ever since.
President Trump, in fact, has predicted that the upcoming term would be the "busiest Congress in decades, maybe ever," considering what's on their agenda; from trade, immigration, regulatory reform to the repeal of the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare.
From the looks of it, this newly christened Congress is equal to the task, considering its eclectic and highly diverse membership.
It's comforting to know, for example, that there's a few Dr. Phil's on board (3 psychologists) in case any members need to lie flat on the House floor for a quick therapy session, a former CIA agent (to ferret out foreign spies or New York Times’ reporters), a firefighter (to hose down the hot air emanating from members), a newspaper publisher (to grumble about fake news and declining print newspaper subscribers), 26 farmers (who can pick up members on their tractors for an important vote in Congress), a rodeo announcer, 8 ordained ministers, and even an explosives expert in case Congress decides to execute the “Nuclear Option.”
In order to gain a greater appreciation of democracy in action, I assembled a demographic profile on the 115th Congress.
Historic Membership
Since 1789, 12,238 individuals have served in Congress: 10,940 in the House and 1,970 in the Senate. Of these Members, 672 have served in both chambers. These numbers do not include an additional 177 individuals who have served only as territorial Delegates or as Resident Commissioners from Puerto Rico or the Philippines in the House
Current Congress
In the House of Representatives, there are 243 Republicans (including one Delegate and the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico) and 198 Democrats (including four Delegates). The Senate has 52 Republicans, 46 Democrats, and two Independents, who both caucus with the Democrat.
Age
The average age of Members of the House at the beginning of the 115th Congress was 57.8 years; of Senators, 61.8 years, among the oldest in U.S. history.
Keeping in mind the Constitution requires Representatives be at least 25 years old, the youngest Representative at the beginning of the 115th Congress was 32-year-old Elise Stefanik (R-NY), born July 2, 1984. The oldest Representative was John Conyers (D-MI), born May 16, 1929, who was 87 at the beginning of the 115th Congress.
Keeping in mind Senators must be at least 30 years old when they take office, the oldest Senator in the 115th Congress is Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), born June 22, 1933, who was 83 at the beginning of the Congress. The youngest Senator is Tom Cotton (R-AR), born May 13, 1977, who was 39.
Previous Occupations of the 115th Congress
101 Members have worked in education, including teachers, professors, instructors, school fundraisers, counselors, administrators, or coaches (85 in the House, 16 in the Senate).
3 physicians in the Senate, 11 physicians in the House, including 4 dentists and 3 veterinarians.
3 psychologists (all in the House), an optometrist (in the Senate), a pharmacist (in the House), and 2 nurses (in the House).
8 ordained ministers, all in the House.
43 former mayors (35 in the House, 8 in the Senate).
12 former state governors (10 in the Senate, two in the House) and 7 lieutenant governors (3 in the Senate, 4 in the House, including 1 Delegate).
15 former judges (all but one in the House) and 47 prosecutors (12 in the Senate, 35 in the House) who have served in city, county, state, federal or military capacities.
1 former Cabinet Secretary (in the Senate), and three Ambassadors (all in the House).
266 former state or territorial legislators (44 in the Senate, 222 in the House).
At least 96 former congressional staffers (18 in the Senate, 78 in the House; including three Delegates), as well as 6 congressional pages (3 in the House and 3 in the Senate).
3 sheriffs, 1 police chief and 5 other police officers, 1 firefighter, 1 CIA agent, and 1 FBI agent (all in the House).
2 Peace Corps volunteers, all in the House.
1 physicist, 1 microbiologist, and 1 chemist, all in the House.
8 engineers (7 in the House and 1 in the Senate).
21 public relations or communications professionals (three in the Senate, 18 in the House), and 11 accountants (2 in the Senate and 9 in the House).
6 software company executives in the House and two in the Senate.
18 management consultants (4 in the Senate, 14 in the House), 6 car dealership owners (all in the House), and 3 venture capitalists (2 in the House, 1 in the Senate).
18 bankers or bank executives (4 in the Senate, 14 in the House), 36 veterans of the real estate industry (5 in the Senate, 31 in the House), and 14 Members who have worked in the construction industry (2 in the Senate, 12 in the House).
9 social workers (1 in the Senate, 8 in the House) and 3 union representatives (all in the House).
7 radio talk show hosts (1 Senate, 6 House); 7 radio or television broadcasters, managers, or owners (2 Senate, 5 House).
8 reporters or journalists (1 Senate, 7 House), a public television producer in the House, and a newspapers publisher in the House.
21 insurance agents or executives (4 Senate, 17 House) and 3 Members who have worked with stocks or bonds (1 Senate, 2 House).
1 screenwriter and comedian and 1 documentary filmmaker (both in the Senate), and 1 artist and 2 speechwriters (all in the House).
26 farmers, ranchers, or cattle farm owners (four in the Senate, 22 in the House).
2 almond orchard owners in the House as well as one vintner.
10 current members of the military reserves (9 House, 1 Senate) and 6 current members of the National Guard (all in the House).
Other occupations of Members in the 115th Congress, include: emergency dispatcher, letter carrier, urban planner, astronaut, pilot, flight attendant, electrician, museum director, rodeo announcer, carpenter, computer systems analyst, software engineer, R & D lab executive, and explosives expert.
Education
18 Members of the House have no educational degree beyond a high school diploma.
8 Members of the House have associate’s degrees as their highest degrees.
100 Members of the House and 21 Senators earned a master’s degree as their highest attained degrees.
167 Members of the House (37.8 percent of the House) and 55 Senators (55 percent of the Senate) hold law degrees.
22 Representatives and 2 Senators have doctoral (Ph.D., D.Phil., Ed.D., or D. Min) degrees.
18 Members of the House and three Senators have medical degrees.
4 Representatives and 1 Senator in the 115th Congress are graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, 2 Senators graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and 1 Representative graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
1 Senator and 2 Representatives were Rhodes Scholars, 2 Representatives were Fulbright Scholars, 2 Representatives were Marshall Scholars, and 1 Senator and 1 Representative were Truman Scholars.
Congressional Service
At the beginning of the 115th Congress, 52 of the House Members, including the Resident Commissioner for Puerto Rico (11.8 percent of the total House Membership) had first been elected to the House in November 2016, and 7 of the Senators (7 percent of the total Senate membership) had first been elected to the Senate in November 2016. These numbers are lower than at the beginning of the 114th Congress, when 13.8 percent of the House and 13 percent of the Senate were newly elected “freshmen.”
The average length of service for Representatives at the beginning of the 115th Congress was 9.4 years (4.7 House terms); for Senators, 10.1 years (1.7 Senate terms).
At the beginning of the 115th Congress, 116 House Members, including two Delegates and the Resident Commissioner (26 percent of House Members), had no more than two years of House experience, and 21 Senators (21 percent of Senators) had no more than two years of Senate experience.
Religion
9 percent of the Members (241 in the House, 58 in the Senate) are Protestant, with Baptist as the most represented denomination, followed by Methodist.
4 percent of the Members (144 in the House, 24 in the Senate) are Catholic.
6 percent of the Members (22 in the House, 8 in the Senate) are Jewish.
4 percent of the Members (7 in the House, 6 in the Senate) are Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
3 Members (two in the House, 1 in the Senate) are Buddhist, 2 House Members are Muslim, and 3 House Members are Hindu.
Other religious affiliations represented include: Greek Orthodox, Pentecostal Christian, Unitarian Universalist, and Christian Science.
Gender and Ethnicity
A record 109 female Members (20.1 percent of the total membership) serve in the 115th Congress, 1 more than at the beginning of the 114th Congress.
88 women, including 4 Delegates as well as the Resident Commissioner, serve in the House and 21 in the Senate.
Of the 88 women in the House, 65 are Democrats, including 3 of the Delegates, and 23 are Republicans, including 1 Delegate as well as the Resident Commissioner.
Of the 21 women in the Senate, 16 are Democrats and 5 are Republicans.
African American Members
There are a record 52 African American Members (9.6 percent of the total membership) in the 115th Congress, 4 more than at the beginning of the 114th Congress.
49 serve in the House, including 2 Delegates, and 3 serve in the Senate, including 1 Representative, as well as 1 Senator, who are of African American and Asian ancestry, and 1 Representative who is of African American and Hispanic ancestry.
47 of the African American House Members, including 2 Delegates, are Democrats, and 2 are Republicans.
2 Senators are Democrats and 1 is Republican.
20 African American women, including 2 Delegates, serve in the House, and 1 serves in the Senate.
Hispanic/Latino American Members
There are 45 Hispanic or Latino Members in the 115th Congress, 8.3 percent of the total membership and a record number.
40 serve in the House and 5 in the Senate, which included 1 House Member who is also of Asian descent, and 1 House Member of African ancestry; these Members are counted in both ethnic categories.
Of the Members of the House, 29 are Democrats (including 1 Delegate) and 11 are Republicans (including the Resident Commissioner).
10 are women, including the Resident Commissioner.
Of the 5 Hispanic Senators (3 Republicans, 2 Democrats), 1 is a woman.
Asian/Pacific Islander American Members
18 Members of the 115th Congress (3.3 percent of the total membership) are of Asian, South Asian, or Pacific Islander ancestry.
15 of them (14 Democrats, 1 Republican) serve in the House, and three (all Democrats) serve in the Senate, which includes 1 House Member and 1 Senator who are also of African American ancestry, and another House Member of Hispanic ancestry; these Members are counted in both ethnic categories.
11 of the Asian, Pacific Islander or South Asian American Members are female: 78 in the House and all 3 in the Senate.
American Indian Members
There are 2 American Indian (Native American) Members of the 115th Congress; both are Republican Members of the House.
Foreign Birth
Keeping in mind that The U.S. Constitution requires that Representatives be citizens for 7 years and Senators be citizens for 9 years before they take office, 18 Representatives and 5 Senators (4.2 percent of the 115th Congress) were born outside the United States. Their places of birth include: Canada, Cuba, Guatemala, Japan, Peru and India.
Military Service
At the beginning of the 115th Congress, there were 102 Members (18.8 percent of the total membership) who had served or were serving in the military, one more than at the beginning of the 114th Congress (101 Members), but 6 fewer than at the beginning of the 113th Congress (108 Members).
The House currently has 82 veterans (including 2 female Members, as well as 1 Delegate); the Senate has 20 veterans, including 2 women, which includes service in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, combat or peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo, as well as during times of peace.
9 House Members and 1 Senator are still serving in the reserves, and 6 House Members are still serving in the National Guard. All of the female veterans are combat veterans.
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS); Pew Research Center on Religion and Public Life; Congressional Quarterly (CQ): “CQ Guide to the New Congress.”
With the newly elected 114th Congress now in session, both parties are championing new bolder programs and setting fresh priorities with a sharp eye toward controlling the White House in 2016.
How much actually gets accomplished with this august body-sadly-known more for its gridlock, intransigence and petty politics than it is for passing momentous legislation for the good of the nation, only time will tell.
But, at least for now, the Congressional agenda includes such ambitious proposals as tax reform, passing international trade agreements, tackling immigration reform; and with a new resurgent Republican majority in both chambers, high hopes of dismantling the Affordable Care Act or Obama Care.
So as members get down to business, this is a perfect time to get to know our new Congress a little better.
What follows is a statistical breakdown of the 114th Congress.
Since 1789, 12,174 individuals have served in Congress: 10,880 in the House and 1,963 in the Senate.
The 114th Congress: Republicans vs. Democrats
247 Republicans in the House of Representatives (including 1 Delegate), 193 Democrats (including 4 Delegates and the Resident Commissioner), and 1 vacant seat.
54 Republicans in the Senate, 44 Democrats, and 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats.
Age of Reason in the 114th Congress
57: Average age in the House
61: Average age in the Senate
8.8 years (4.4 terms): Average years of service in the House.
9.7 years (1.6 terms): Average years of service in the Senate.
30 years of age-youngest member in the House-Elise Stefanik (R-NY), born July 2, 1984
85 years of age--oldest Representative-John Conyers (D-MI), born May 16, 1929
81 years old-the oldest Senator in the 114th Congress -Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), born June 22, 1933.
37 years old-the youngest Senator-Tom Cotton (R-AR), born May 13, 1977
Born to Serve-Former Occupations of the 114th Congress
100 members have worked in education, including teachers, professors, instructors, school fundraisers, counselors, administrators, or coaches (85 in the House, 15 in the Senate).
3 physicians in the Senate, 15 physicians in the House, plus 3 dentists and 3 veterinarians; 3 psychologists (all in the House), an optometrist (in the Senate), a pharmacist (in the House), and 4 nurses (all in the House).
7 ordained ministers, all in the House.
39 former mayors (31 in the House, 8 in the Senate).
4 Peace Corps volunteers, all in the House.
1 physicist, 1microbiologist, 1 chemist, and 8 engineers (all in the House, with the exception of one Senator who is an engineer).
22 public relations or communications professionals (2 in the Senate, 20 in the House).
10 accountants (2 in the Senate and 8 in the House).
5 software company executives in the House and 2 in the Senate.
14 management consultants (4 in the Senate, 10 in the House).
6 car dealership owners (all in the House).
2 venture capitalists (1 in each chamber).
18 bankers or bank executives (4 in the Senate, 14 in the House).
36 veterans of the real estate industry (5 in the Senate, 31 in the House).
2 social workers in the Senate and 6 in the House.
4 union representatives (all in the House).
6 radio talk show hosts (one Senate, five House).
8 radio or television broadcasters, managers, or owners (2 Senate, 6 House).
9 reporters or journalists (2 Senate, 7 House); and a public television producer in the House.
19 insurance agents or executives (4 Senate, 15 House).
3 stockbrokers (2 in the Senate, 1 in the House).
1 screenwriter and comedian, and 1 documentary filmmaker (both in the Senate) and an artist in the House
29 farmers, ranchers, or cattle farm owners (4 in the Senate, 25 in the House)
10 current members of the military reserves (8 House, 2 Senate) and 7 current members of the National Guard (6 House, 1 Senate).
Different Degrees of Education in the 114th Congress
20 members of the House have no educational degree beyond a high school diploma;
8 members of the House have associate’s degrees as their highest degrees.
82 members of the House and 16 Senators earned a master’s degree as their highest attained degrees.
159 members of the House (36 percent of the House) and 54 Senators (54 percent of the Senate) hold law degrees.
22 members of the House and 3 Senators have medical degrees.
Congressional Service
At the beginning of the 114th Congress, 61 of the Representatives, including two Delegates (13.8 percent of the total House Membership) had first been elected to the House in November 2014, and 13 of the Senators (13 percent of the total Senate membership) had first been elected to the Senate in November 2014.
At the beginning of the 114th Congress, 131 Representatives, including 2 Delegates (30.4 percent of House Members) had no more than 2 years of House experience, and 27 Senators (27 percent of Senators) had no more than two years of Senate experience.
Religion
98 percent of the members of the 114th Congress are reported to be affiliated with a specific religion. Of the 98 percent, the vast majority (92 percent) are Christian.
57 percent of the members (251 in the House, 55 in the Senate) are Protestant, with Baptist as the most represented denomination, followed by Methodist
31 percent of the members (138 in the House, 26 in the Senate) are Catholic.
5.2 percent of the members (19 in the House, nine in the Senate) are Jewish.
3 percent of the members (9 in the House, 7 in the Senate) are Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
2 members (1 in the House, 1 in the Senate) are Buddhist, 2 House members are Muslim, and 1 House member is Hindu.
Gender and Ethnicity in the 114th Congress
A record 108 women (20 percent of the total membership) serve in the 114th Congress (as of January 2015) 7 more than at the beginning of the 113th Congress.
88 women, including 4 Delegates, serve in the House and 20 in the Senate.
Of the 88 women in the House, 65 are Democrats, including 3 of the Delegates, and 23 are Republicans, including 1 Delegate.
Of the 20 women in the Senate, 14 are Democrats and 6 are Republicans.
48 African American members (8.9 percent of the total membership) in the 114th Congress, 3 more than at the beginning of the 113th Congress. 46 serve in the House, including 2 Delegates, and 2 serve in the Senate.
44 of the African American House members, including 1 Delegate, are Democrats, and 2 are Republicans, including 1 Delegate.
20 African American women, including 2 Delegates, serve in the House.
38 Hispanic or Latino Members in the 114th Congress, 7.0 percent of the total membership and a record number. 34 serve in the House and 4 in the Senate.
4 male Hispanic Senators (three Republicans, one Democrat).
1 set of Hispanic members, Representatives Linda Sánchez and Loretta Sanchez, are sisters.
14 members (a record number) of the 114th Congress (2.6 percent of the total membership and one more than at the beginning of the 113th Congress) are of Asian, South Asian, or Pacific Islander ancestry. 13 of them (12 Democrats, one Republican) serve in the House, and one (a Democrat) serves in the Senate.
2 American Indian (Native American), both of whom are Republican Members of the House.
Foreign Birth in the 114th Congress
13 Representatives and 3 Senators (2.9 percent of the entire 114th Congress) were born outside the United States.
Military Service in the 114th Congress
101 members (18.7 percent of the total membership) who had served or were serving in the military, 7 fewer than at the beginning of the 113th Congress (108 members) and 17 fewer than in the 112th Congress (118 members).
81 veterans in the House (including three female members, as well as one Delegate); the Senate has 20 veterans, including one woman.
