New members-elect arrived on Capitol Hill for orientation on Tuesday eager to jump in and get to work as the House prepares for fresh faces to join their ranks with a majority still in play.
With most races in the 2024 election called, both Democratic and Republican representatives-elect participated in forums, meetings, and orientation classes to get them prepared for their work as a member of Congress.
Many new members are coming to Washington, D.C., with political experience in tow, while others are bringing other experiences into their new positions, such as military service, education, healthcare, and legal work.
House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI), whose committee is organizing new member orientation, said current lawmakers are excited about the arrival of new colleagues and look forward to the “eventful” two weeks of orientation and leadership elections.
“A lot of information is coming at new members from an array of backgrounds,” Steil said. “In many ways, that’s the strength of the House, is that individuals, men and women, come from a whole host of backgrounds, but to really come in and try to absorb as much information as you can, to be the best member and representative you can be of your respective district.”
Steil added that many aspects of orientation are nonpartisan compared to his arrival to Congress in 2018, such as transportation and meeting lounges.
“There’s plenty of time here to have partisan disagreements, but not everything here needs to be a partisan fight,” Steil said.
Leaving their hotel on Tuesday, several members expressed joy at getting to meet their future colleagues on both sides of the aisle, with Rep.-elect Laura Freidman (D-CA) noting she wishes she could jump into the job “right now.” After orientation ends next week, they will not return to the Capitol until January, when they will be sworn in as members of the House of Representatives.
For some members-elect, this is not their first time on Capitol Hill.
Sam Liccardo, the Democrat who will represent California’s 16th Congressional District, first got a taste of Washington, D.C., when he was a 17-year-old intern. Now he will take over the seat of retiring Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) come 2025.
He told reporters he is feeling excited to meet new colleagues and learn “all the details.”
“It’s important to know where the bathrooms are in the building, but obviously, most important thing to do when you’re leading is building good teams these first few weeks and months,” Liccardo quipped.
Gil Cisneros, the Democratic congressman-elect for California’s 31st District, has gone through new member orientation before. Cisneros was the U.S. representative for California’s 39th District but was defeated in the 2020 elections by Rep. Young Kim (R-CA).
Cisneros said he’s spent much of his first day getting acquainted with new colleagues and reacquainted with his old ones.
During remarks to reporters Monday morning, Democratic Rep.-elect Suhas Subramanyam called the first day of orientation “bittersweet,” in that while he hoped to be coming into a Democratic majority, he vowed during his campaign to “work with everyone, including Republicans and including President Trump.”
Rob Bresnahan, the Republican congressman-elect from Pennsylvania’s 8th District, said his ultimate goal is to push a leadership agenda that aligns with what’s best for his constituents.
“But this week, I’m doing a lot of learning and drinking through a fire hose, and I’m just so incredibly excited and humbled that the people of northeastern Pennsylvania are willing to give me a chance,” Bresnahan said.
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A lot of members expressed they were tired from their first full day of orientation but felt energized about the rest of the week.
“We’re just getting oriented, getting our technology, our phones, our laptops,” Republican Rep.-elect Bob Onder from Missouri said. “Really, it’s just the beginning. We got in here yesterday, looking forward to getting oriented to the 119th Congress and getting to work in January.”