On Wednesday, January 6th the 114th Congress was sworn into office. Amid, enthusiasm and ecstatic greetings, Washington’s Congressional members welcomed visitors in their offices. To join in the occasion, Washington State University greeted the members of the Washington State delegation with some Cougar Gold and fresh baked bread from the WSU Mt. Vernon Research Extension.
New to the Washington State delegation is WSU alum, Congressman Dan Newhouse(R) who will be representing the 4th Congressional District including Yakima, Pasco, Kennewick, Richland, Prosser, Moses Lake and Omak. WSU Alumni Senator Patty Murray paid a visit to the new Congressman’s office as well. We now have two alumni in the Washington Congressional Delegation.
The 114th Congress will commence with a substantial Republican majority in the House (246 to 188) and a majority in the Senate where Republicans now maintain a 54-44 seat majority over Democrats. Despite controlling the House and Senate, Republicans are still several votes shy, in both chambers, of being able to overturn a Presidential veto. The sense on the Hill is that Republicans in the first few weeks will look to hit the ground running while championing many vital pieces of legislation.