| 112th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
111th ← → 113th | |
United States Capitol (2011)
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January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013 | |
| Members | 100 senators 435 representatives 6 non-voting delegates |
| Senate majority | Democratic |
| Senate President | Joe Biden (D) |
| House majority | Republican |
| House Speaker | John Boehner (R) |
| Sessions | |
| 1st: January 5, 2011 – January 3, 2012 2nd: January 3, 2012 – January 3, 2013 | |
The 112th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, from January 3, 2011, until January 3, 2013. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2011, and ended on January 3, 2013, 17 days before the end of the presidential term to which Barack Obama was elected in 2008. Senators elected to regular terms in 2006 completed those terms in this Congress. This Congress included the last House of Representatives elected from congressional districts that were apportioned based on the 2000 census.[1][2]
In the 2010 midterm elections, the Republican Party won the majority in the House of Representatives. While the Democrats kept their Senate majority, it was reduced from the previous Congress.[3]
This was the first Congress in which the House and Senate were controlled by different parties since the 107th Congress (2001–2003), and the first Congress to begin that way since the 99th Congress (1985–1987).[citation needed] It was also the first Congress since the 36th Congress, over 150 years, in which the Republican Party held the House but not the Senate. In this Congress, the House of Representatives had the largest number of Republican members, 242, since the 80th Congress (1947–1949).[4] This was the only Congress between the 79th (1945–1947) and the 117th (2021–2023) that did not include a member of the Kennedy family.
As of 2022, this is the most recent Congress in which Democrats held a Senate seat in Nebraska or a House seat in Arkansas, the last in which Republicans held both Senate seats in Maine, and the last in which Democrats did not hold all seats in Connecticut.
A failure to pass a 2011 federal budget nearly led to a shutdown of non-essential government services on April 9, 2011, with the furlough of 800,000 government employees appearing imminent.[9] President Obama met Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner in the days preceding the deadline but was unable to come to an agreement to pass a budget.[citation needed] A one-week budget was proposed to avoid a government shutdown and allow more time for negotiations; however, proposals from both parties could not be accommodated.[citation needed] Obama said he would veto a proposed Republican budget over Republican social spending cuts.[citation needed] This was also backed by Senate Democrats who objected to such cuts as that of Planned Parenthood.[10][11][12] However, an agreement was reached between the two parties for a one-week budget to allow for more time to negotiate after Republicans dropped their stance on the Planned Parenthood issue.[11] The two parties ultimately agreed on a 2011 federal budget the following week.[citation needed]
There were many reactions to the possible shutdown with some saying the economy could be hurt during a fragile recovery[13] and others saying the lack of an unnecessary bureaucracy would not be noticed.[14] There was also criticism that while senators and representatives would continue to get paid others such as the police and military personnel would either not be paid for their work or have their payments deferred.[15]
On August 2, 2011, the United States public debt was projected to reach its statutory maximum. Without an increase in that limit the U.S. Treasury would be unable to borrow money to pay its bills. Although previous statutory increases have been routine, conservative members of the House refused to allow an increase without drastically reducing government spending. Over several weeks and months, negotiators from both parties, both houses, and the White House worked to forge a compromise. The compromise bill, the Budget Control Act of 2011, was enacted on August 2.
| Party (shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | Vacant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Independent (caucusing with Democrats) |
Republican | |||
| End of previous Congress | 56 | 2 | 42 | 100 | 0 |
| Begin | 51 | 2 | 47 | 100 | 0 |
| May 3, 2011 | 46 | 99 | 1 | ||
| May 9, 2011 | 47 | 100 | 0 | ||
| December 17, 2012 | 50 | 99 | 1 | ||
| December 26, 2012 | 51 | 100 | 0 | ||
| January 1, 2013 | 46 | 99 | 1 | ||
| January 2, 2013 | 47 | 100 | 0 | ||
| Final voting share | 53% | 47% | |||
| Beginning of the next Congress | 53 | 2 | 45 | 100 | 0 |
240 Republicans
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | Vacant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | ||||
| End of previous Congress | 255 | 179 | 434 | 1 | |
| Begin | 193 | 242 | 435 | 0 | |
| February 9, 2011 | 241 | 434 | 1 | ||
| February 28, 2011 | 192 | 433 | 2 | ||
| May 9, 2011 | 240 | 432 | 3 | ||
| May 24, 2011 | 193 | 433 | 2 | ||
| June 21, 2011 | 192 | 432 | 3 | ||
| July 12, 2011 | 193 | 433 | 2 | ||
| August 3, 2011 | 192 | 432 | 3 | ||
| September 13, 2011 | 242 | 434 | 1 | ||
| January 25, 2012 | 191 | 433 | 2 | ||
| January 31, 2012 | 192 | 434 | 1 | ||
| March 6, 2012 | 191 | 433 | 2 | ||
| March 20, 2012 | 190 | 432 | 3 | ||
| June 12, 2012 | 191 | 433 | 2 | ||
| July 7, 2012 | 241 | 432 | 3 | ||
| July 31, 2012 | 240 | 431 | 4 | ||
| August 15, 2012 | 190 | 430 | 5 | ||
| November 13, 2012 | 192 | 241 | 433 | 2 | |
| November 15, 2012 | 193 | 434 | 1 | ||
| November 21, 2012 | 192 | 433 | 2 | ||
| December 3, 2012 | 191 | 432 | 3 | ||
| January 2, 2013 | 240 | 431 | 4 | ||
| Final voting share | 44.3% | 55.7% | |||
| Non-voting members | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Beginning of next Congress | 200 | 233 | 433 | 2 | |
Section contents: Senate: Majority (D), Minority (R) • House: Majority (R), Minority (D)
For the first time in the history of Congress, over half its members were millionaires as of 2012; Democrats had a median net worth of $1.04 million, while the Republicans median was "almost exactly" $1.00 million.[21][22] In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 2012; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 2014; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 2016.
| State (class) |
Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada (1) |
John Ensign (R) |
Resigned May 3, 2011, due to an Ethics Committee investigation.[27] Successor appointed April 27, 2011 and later elected for a full six-year term. |
Dean Heller (R)[28] |
May 9, 2011[29] |
| Hawaii (3) |
Daniel Inouye (D) |
Died December 17, 2012 [30] Successor appointed December 26, 2012, to serve until a special election was held to finish the term ending January 3, 2017. |
Brian Schatz (D) |
December 27, 2012 |
| South Carolina (3) |
Jim DeMint (R) |
Resigned January 1, 2013, to run The Heritage Foundation[31] Successor appointed January 2, 2013, to serve until a special election was held to finish the term ending January 3, 2017. |
Tim Scott (R) |
January 2, 2013[32] |
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York 26th | Christopher Lee (R) |
Resigned February 9, 2011, due to a personal scandal.[33] A special election was held May 24, 2011.[34] |
Kathy Hochul (D) |
June 1, 2011 |
| California 36th | Jane Harman (D) |
Resigned February 28, 2011, to become the head of the Woodrow Wilson Center.[35] A special election was held July 12, 2011.[36] |
Janice Hahn (D) |
July 19, 2011 |
| Nevada 2nd | Dean Heller (R) |
Resigned May 9, 2011, when appointed to the Senate.[28] A special election was held September 13, 2011.[37] |
Mark Amodei (R) |
September 15, 2011 |
| New York 9th | Anthony Weiner (D) |
Resigned June 21, 2011, due to a personal scandal.[38] A special election was held September 13, 2011.[39] |
Bob Turner (R) |
September 15, 2011 |
| Oregon 1st | David Wu (D) |
Resigned August 3, 2011, due to a personal scandal. A special election was held January 31, 2012.[40] |
Suzanne Bonamici (D) |
February 7, 2012 |
| Arizona 8th | Gabby Giffords (D) |
Resigned January 25, 2012, to focus on recovery from 2011 Tucson shooting.[41] A special election was held June 12, 2012.[42] |
Ron Barber (D) |
June 19, 2012 |
| New Jersey 10th | Donald M. Payne (D) |
Died March 6, 2012.[43] A special election was held November 6, 2012.[44] |
Donald Payne Jr. (D) |
November 15, 2012[24] |
| Washington 1st | Jay Inslee (D) |
Resigned March 20, 2012, to focus on gubernatorial campaign.[45] A special election was held November 6, 2012.[46] |
Suzan DelBene (D) |
November 13, 2012[23] |
| Michigan 11th | Thaddeus McCotter (R) |
Resigned July 6, 2012, for personal reasons.[47] A special election was held November 6, 2012.[48] |
David Curson (D) |
November 13, 2012[23] |
| Kentucky 4th | Geoff Davis (R) |
Resigned July 31, 2012, for personal reasons.[49] A special election was held November 6, 2012.[50] |
Thomas Massie (R) |
November 13, 2012[23] |
| California 18th | Dennis Cardoza (D) |
Resigned August 15, 2012, for personal reasons.[51] | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Illinois 2nd | Jesse Jackson Jr. (D) |
Resigned November 21, 2012, due to a personal scandal. | ||
| California 51st | Bob Filner (D) |
Resigned December 3, 2012, to become Mayor of San Diego. | ||
| South Carolina 1st | Tim Scott (R) |
Resigned January 2, 2013, when appointed to the United States Senate.[25] | ||
[ Section contents: Senate, House, Joint ]
Members of Congress 'shouldn't be getting paid, just like federal employees shouldn't be getting paid' during a shutdown, Boehner said today on ABC's 'Good Morning America'
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United States congresses (and year convened)
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