Learning Curve: New Players in Congress

Every two years, the period between the November election and the start of the new Congress is often the busiest time to cover Congress.

Journalists are trying to figure out who won the election and who lost. The existing Congress has come back to try to prevent the shutdown and often works to pass other major legislation. There are frequent leadership elections. For example, Republican Sen. John Thune defeated Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, to succeed outgoing Kentucky Sen. State Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell became party leader. Thune began serving as majority leader on Friday afternoon. We still don’t know how difficult it will be for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, to return to the speaker’s suite. Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican and former House Speaker, won the House Speakership in 2023 after 15 rounds of voting.

Time management is an issue for me because there is so much going on. The new Congress begins at noon on January 3.

This is time consuming. Differentiating some of the rookies is a challenge. Even the name and pronunciation are correct.

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It’s quite a learning curve.

This process intensifies during the holidays. This is the final preparation for the release on January 3rd.

Some people learn more easily than others. Sens. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., were household names in the House before joining the Senate. In fact, they have become senators. Other new senators are in the spotlight because they entered competitive races. Consider elected Senators Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana) and Dave McCormick (R-Pa.). Sen.-elect Jim Justice (R-W.V.) does not face a challenging race to the Senate. But Justice was making a name for himself across the country even before he triumphed—and so was his loyal sidekick, Papillon.

But the real adventure is getting to know all the new House members.

The house is a huge place. 435 people. Some new faces stand out in the House. But a lot of it is obscure. It’s especially difficult to get to know some of these guys if they haven’t played in a competitive game or are relatively unknown.

On Friday, the House of Representatives will welcome 62 new members and non-voting representatives. My mission is to learn it all.

My daily exercise routine is a great opportunity. After all, the pace of Congress is a bit like a treadmill. But for my purposes, learning freshman class is more like an elliptical machine. Every morning, with my legs shaking, I scanned the face and name over and over again. I rotated through the entire House slate at least twice. Then I took the list to the stationary bike and learned more there.

Some names stand out more than others. Alaska Rep.-elect Nick Begich III, for example, was already well-known before the election. This fall, he defeated Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola in a close race. Additionally, his last name has a place in American political history—but mostly in association with the Democratic Party. His uncle is former Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska. His grandfather, the late Rep. Nick Begich, D-Alaska, was involved in a 1972 plane crash with the late House Majority Leader Hale Boggs, D-Los Angeles. Loss of life. Boggs is the father of the late ABC and NPR reporter Cokie Roberts.

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I try to meet as many new students as possible. But as I wrote before, bandwidth is limited. In this comical post-election period, freshmen arrive at the Capitol for orientation. There aren’t enough hours in the day.

But a few weeks ago, I had a drink with a good friend at The Monocle, a legendary Capitol Hill bar. I saw former Senator Begich walk in but couldn’t get his attention and say hello. After a while, the congressman-elect came over. I grabbed his arm, introduced myself and gave him a business card.

Trust me: it’s easier to remember freshman classes if you meet the members in person. I am proud that I was able to identify Rep.-elect Begich in the crowd based on my research.

Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) walks with staff on the east side of the U.S. Capitol Building on June 5, 2024 in Washington, DC. We have a short week in the House and Senate as lawmakers travel to France to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. (Photo by Kent West Village/Getty Images) (Nishimura Ken)

I took a moment to chat with Reps.-elect Julie Fedorchuk (RN) and Dave Taylor (R-Ohio). So I feel confident knowing these members.

Others left Congress and came back. That was the case with former Indiana Republican Rep. Marlin Stutzman and Louisiana Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields. Stutzman served in Congress just a few years ago and is now set to return. Nearly three decades ago, in the 1990s, Fields was in his thirties and served in the House of Representatives.

I mentioned representation before.

Elected Republican Kimberlyn King-Hinds of the Northern Mariana Islands will come to Washington in a few days as a freshman. She succeeds Del. Kilili Sablan, a Democrat from the Northern Mariana Islands who retired. I haven’t seen King-Hinds yet. But multiple photos circulated showing her wearing a tropical floral headpiece. I don’t know if King-Hinds have always dressed like this. But such clothing will make it easier for people to identify Wang Lu.

For example, Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., wears a signature cowboy hat that makes her stand out.

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Then there’s pronunciation. Not every name is as simple as Rep.-elect Tim Moore or Rep.-elect Gabe Evans. Try Rep.-elect Suhas Subramanyam, D-Virginia. It’s pronounced soo-bruh-MAHN – delicious. Arizona Representative-elect Abe Hamadeh’s last name is pronounced HAMM-uh-day. The aforementioned Julie Fedorchak said her last name fedd-ORR-check.

I enlisted Fox News Radio reporter Ryan Schmelz to ask me about some of the freshmen’s backgrounds and match photos to names. When Schmeltz showed me a photo of Rep.-elect Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., there was no question I was right. She succeeds retiring Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes of Maryland.

But when Schmeltz pointed to a photo of Rep.-elect Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), I froze. I immediately knew the congresswoman-elect’s name was “Maxine.” I’m sure she’s a Democrat and from Oregon. I even know who she’s replacing: retiring Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer. But I don’t get the last name. I want to say “Dieter”. But I know that’s not right.

Democratic mule and Republican elephant statues in front of the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC (American Vision/Universal Image Group, Getty Images)

So Schmeltz stumped me there.

But that’s the learning process. Even though I didn’t know Dexter at the time, you can bet I won’t forget her now.

And looking forward to meeting her. I’ve known her ex for years.

But frankly, you can’t really understand members by studying a book. You can get to know them by seeing them in the halls. Chat with them in the Speaker’s Lobby. Interact with them during interviews. Look at their performance at the hearing. You watch them on the floor.

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What’s the best way to learn them?

Observe their votes and performance as members of Congress.