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January 11, 2021 Update

[New information bolded and italicized]

The 117th Congress was sworn in on January 3, 2021.

Two days later, Georgia held two special Senate election runoffs where two Democrats won and tied the Senate membership at 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans. When sworn in on January 20, Vice President Kamala Harris will break the tie and hand Senate control to Democrats. That division will make New York Senator Chuck Schumer Majority Leader and Democrats will chair the Senate committees.

Early work in the Senate will be considering confirmation of President Biden’s new cabinet and team, a process that will take months.

Consideration of major national security legislation will similarly take many months, with the starting point probably the submission of a revised  Biden Fiscal Year 2022 federal budget, perhaps in April.

In the meantime, a deadly and dangerous insurrectionist took over of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, delaying the confirmation of Biden’s electoral vote majority and causing destruction and deaths in the U.S. Capitol. 

The upshot may mean President Trump faces new impeachment charges this week.

Key Fiscal Year 2022 National Security Bills

Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Bill

Fiscal Year 2022 Defense Appropriations Bill

Emergency action on coronavirus and economic crisis

Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Resolution

Fiscal Year 2022 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill

Fiscal Year 2022 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill

Fiscal Year 2022 Military Construction-Veterans’ Administration (VA) Bill

 CONGRESSIONAL RECESS SCHEDULE IN 2021

Thursday, January 7 – Wednesday, January 20: House recess:
Friday, January 8 – Thursday, January 21: Senate recess:
Thursday/Friday, February 11/12 – Monday/Tuesday February 22/23: House & Senate recess
Thursday/Friday, March 25/26 – Monday/Tuesday, April 12/13: House  and Senate recess
Friday, April 30: Monday May 10: Senate recess
Friday, May 28 – Monday, June 7: Senate and House recess
Friday, June 25 – Monday, July 12: Senate recess
Friday July 1 – Monday July 12: House recess
Friday, July 30 – Tuesday, August 31: House summer recess
Friday, August 6 – Monday, September 13: Senate summer recess
Friday, October 8 – Monday, October 18: Senate recess
Friday, November 5 – Monday, November 15: Senate recess
Thursday/Friday, November 18-19 – Monday/Tuesday, November 29-30: Senate & House recess
Friday, December 10 – Friday, December 31: House and Senate recess