Learning Curve: The new players in Congress

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

Journalists try to find out who won and who lost in their elections. Existing Congress is back, trying to prevent a government shutdown and often walking through the landscape of other important legislation. There are often leadership elections. For example, Sen. John Thune, R-D., defeated Sens. John Cornyn, R-Tex., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., to succeed outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., at the top Senate GOP leader. Thune starts as majority leader on Friday afternoon. We still don’t know how much of a fight House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., faces in returning to the presidency. It took former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., 15 rounds before picking up the gavel in 2023.

Time management is a problem for me with so much going on. The new Congress begins at noon on January 3. That’s how I spend my time between elections and the beginning of the new Congress learning, studying and memorizing the faces and biographies of as many new legislators as possible.

It takes a lot of time. The challenge is to distinguish some beginners from one another. Even getting the names and pronunciations correct.

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It’s quite a learning curve.

This process intensifies during the holidays. It’s the last step until things launch on January 3rd.

Some people are easier to teach than others. Sens. Andy Kim, DN.J., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., were household names in the House before entering the Senate. In fact, they have already become senators. Other new senators are notable for running in competitive races. Think Sens. elected Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., and Dave McCormick, R-Penn. Senator-elect Jim Justice, RW.V., did not face a challenging race to enter the Senate. But Justice spurned a national profile before the win — as did his constant canine companion, Babydog.

But it is a real adventure to teach all the new members of the House.

The house is a huge place. 435 people. Some new faces stand out in the House. But many are unclear. And it is especially difficult to learn some of them if they have not encountered a competing race or were relatively unknown.

The House of Representatives begins with 62 new members plus non-voting delegates on Friday. My mission is to teach them all.

My daily exercise routine is a good opportunity for that. After all, the pace of Congress is like a conveyor belt. But for my purposes, learning freshmen is more like an elliptical trainer. I go through the list of faces and names over and over again – as my legs scramble every morning. I rotate through the entire House at least twice. Then I take the list to the exercise bike and learn more there.

Some names are more prominent than others. For example, incumbent Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, was famous before the election. The tail won. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, in a tight race this fall. In addition, his surname is steeped in American political history – but mostly with democratic parties. His uncle is former Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska. His grandfather, the late Rep. Nick Begich, D-Alaska, was killed in a 1972 plane crash with the late House Majority Leader Hale Boggs, D-La. Boggs is the father of the late ABC and NPR reporter Cokie Roberts.

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I’m trying to get to know as many members of the new freshman class as possible. But as I wrote earlier, bandwidth is limited. All freshmen come to the Capitol complex during this crazy period after the orientation election. There simply aren’t enough minutes in the day.

But I went out for drinks with a good friend at The Monocle, a legendary Capitol Hill watering hole, a few weeks ago. I saw ex-Senator Begich walk in – but I couldn’t get his attention to greet him. Moments later, the congressman-elect walked by. I took his hand, introduced myself and gave him a business card.

Trust me: it’s easier to remember a freshman class if you get to know the members in person. And I was proud of myself for being able to single out the chosen Begich in the crowd – based on my studies.

I spent some time talking with Rep.-elect Julie Fedorchak, RN.D., and Dave Taylor, R-Ohio. So I am confident that I know these members.

Then there are people who left Congress – and came back. Such is the case with former Reps. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., and Cleo Fields, D-La. Stutzman served in Congress just a few years ago and is returning. Fields served in the House nearly three decades ago, in the 1990s, when he was in his thirties.

I mentioned delegates a moment ago.

Newly elected Kimberlyn King-Hinds, R-Northern Mariana Islands, is coming to Washington as a freshman in a few days. She managed to retire Del. Kilili Sablan, D-Northern Mariana Islands. I haven’t met King-Hinds yet. But a number of photos that have gone viral show her wearing a tropical floral headdress. I don’t know if King-Hinds wears it all the time. But such clothing would make King-Hinds easier to recognize.

For example, the distinctive cowboy hat worn by Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., makes her stand out.

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Then there are the excuses. Not every name is as easy as Rep.-elect Tim Moore, RN.C., or Rep.-elect Gabe Evans, R-Colo. Try Rep.-elect Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va. It’s pronounced soo-bruh-MAHN—yum. The last name of Rep.-elect Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., is pronounced HAMM-uh-day. And the aforementioned Julie Fedorchak says her last name is fedd-ORR-check.

I recruited Fox News Radio reporter Ryan Schmelz to quiz me on the backgrounds of some of the freshmen – as well as match photos with names. I had no problem guessing correctly when Schmelz showed me a photo of the chosen one, Sarah Elfreth, MD. She succeeded in retiring Rep. John Sarbanes, MD.

But I tripped when Schmelz pointed to a picture of newly elected Maxine Dexter, D-Ore. I knew right away that the congresswoman-elect’s name was “Maxine”. I was sure she was a Democrat and originally from Oregon. I even knew who he was succeeding: retiring Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore. But I didn’t get a last name. I meant to say “Deeter.” But I knew it wasn’t right.

So Schmelz confused me there.

But it’s a learning process. And even though I didn’t know Dexter back then, you can bet I won’t forget her now.

And he is looking forward to meeting her. I have known her predecessor for years.

But honestly, members don’t really learn by studying a book. You learn them by watching them in the hall. Talk to them in the speaker’s lobby. Interacting with them in interviews. Watching them pass the debates. You watch how they manage on the floor.

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And what is the best way to learn them?

Observing how they vote and act as members of Congress.