The learning curve: New players in Congress

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

Journalists try to find out who won their election and who lost. The current Congress is back, trying to prevent a government shutdown and often plowing the space for other major legislation. There are often leadership elections. For example, Seni. John Thune, RS.D., defeated Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., to replace outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as the GOP leader in the Senate. Thune starts as Senior Leader on Friday afternoon. We still don't know how much of a struggle House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is facing to return to the Speakership. It took former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., 15 rounds before he sought the Speaker's nomination in 2023.

Time management is a problem for me with a lot going on. The new Congress begins at noon on January 3. So I spend the time between the election and the start of the new Congress studying, reading and memorizing the faces and biographies of as many incoming lawmakers as possible.

It takes time. It's a challenge to tell the rookies apart from each other. Even getting the words and pronunciation right.

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It's quite a learning curve.

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Some people are easier to learn than others. Sen. Andy Kim, DN.J., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., were household names in the House before joining the Senate. In fact, they are already senators. Some of the new Senators are at a high level because they ran competitive races. Think Sens.-elect Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., and Dave McCormick, R-Penn. Nominee Jim Justice, RW.V., did not face a challenging race to join the Senate. But Justice cut a national profile before winning – as did his canine companion Babydog.

But the real journey is learning all the new House Members.

The house is a big place. 435 people. Another new face shines in the House. But many are unclear. And it is very difficult to learn some of them if they do not meet the competition or they are unknown.

The House begins with 62 new Members and non-voting delegates on Friday. My goal is to read them all.

My daily exercise is a great opportunity for this. After all, the pace of Congress is like a treadmill. But for my purposes, learning a freshman class is like an elliptical. I look at the list of faces and names over and over again – like my legs are twitchy every morning. I cycle through the entire House system at least twice. Then I take the list to the stationary bike and learn more there.

Some words stand out more than others. For example, incumbent Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, was known before the election. He defeated Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, in a close race this fall. In addition, his surname is steeped in American political history – but especially in the Democratic Party. His uncle was Seni. Mark Begich, D-Alaska. His grandfather, Rep. Nick Begich, D-Alaska, died in a 1972 plane crash with 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 try to meet as many Members of the incoming freshman class as possible. But as I wrote before, bandwidth is limited. Young people are all descending on the Capitol complex during this difficult time after the presidential election. There just aren't enough minutes in the day.

But I was grabbing a drink with my best friend at The Monocle, a popular Capitol Hill watering hole, a few weeks ago. I saw a former Seni. Begich came in – but I couldn't help but say hello. Seconds later, the Congressman-elect walked by. I took him by the arm and introduced myself and gave him a business card.

Trust me: it's easier to memorize a freshman class when you meet the members in person. And I was proud of myself for being able to pick Rep.-elect Begich out of the crowd – based on my studies.

Sen. Joe Manchin (WV) walks with staff east of the US Capitol on June 5, 2024 in Washington, DC. Both chambers of Congress have a short week as members travel to France for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images) (Kent Nishimura)

I spent a little time talking with Reps.-elect Julie Fedorchak, RN.D., and Dave Taylor, R-Ohio. So I am confident in knowing those members.

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

I mentioned messengers earlier.

Del.-elect Kimberlyn King-Hinds, R-Northern Mariana Islands, is coming to Washington as a freshman in a few days. Del succeeds. Retired Kilili Sablan, D-Northern Mariana Islands. I haven't met King-Hinds yet. But most of the photos that have been shared show her wearing a floral hat with hot flowers. I don't know if that's what King-Hinds always wears. But such a garment will make it easy to spot the King-Hinds.

For example, the signature cowboy hat worn by Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., we make her stand out.

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Then there is the pronunciation. Not all names are easy like 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 enlisted Fox News Radio reporter Ryan Schmelz to ask me about the backgrounds of some of the newcomers – and to match the pictures with the names. I had no problem guessing correctly when Schmelz showed me a photo of Rep.-elect Sarah Elfreth, D-Md. He succeeds Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md.

But I tripped when Schmelz pointed to a photo of Rep.-elect Maxine Dexter, D-Ore. I just realized that the Congressman-elect was named “Maxine.” I was sure he was a Democrat and from Oregon. I also knew who he was winning against: Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who is resigning. But I didn't get the last name. I wanted to say “Deeter.” But I knew that was wrong.

Statues of the Democratic Mule and the Republican Elephant in front of the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC (Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

So, Schmelz put me in there.

But that is a learning process. And even if I didn't know Dexter then, you can bet I won't forget him now.

And I look forward to meeting him. I have known his predecessor for years.

But to be honest, you don't really learn the Members by reading a book. You learn them by seeing yourself in the hall. Chatting with them at the Speaker's reception area. Interacting with them in interviews. To see how they do in the audition. See how they behave on the ground.

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And the best way to learn them?

Looking at how they vote and act as a Member of Congress.