The 113th
United States Congress convened on January 3, 2013 and will adjourn
January 3, 2015. In the Senate there are 53 Democrats,
45 Republicans, and 2 independents that caucus with the
Democrats. In the House of Representatives there are 234 Republicans,
201 Democrats, and 6 nonvoting members. The house seats are based on those
apportioned from the 2010 US Census.
Key
Personnel 113th, 1st Session:
United
States Senate
President
of the Senate: Vice
President Joe Biden (D-DEL);
Senate President pro tem: Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Senate
Majority leader and Caucus Chair: Harry Reid (D-NV); Assistant Majority Leader
(Majority Whip): Dick
Durbin (D-IL)
Senate
Minority leader: Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Assistant Minority Leader (Minority Whip)
John
Cornyn (R-TX)?
Chair of
the Senate Appropriations Committee: Barbara
Mikulski (D-MD)
Chair of
the Senate Armed Services Committee: Carl Levin (D-MI)
Chair,
Senate Veterans Affairs: Bernie Sanders
(I-VT)
United
States House of Representatives:
House
Speaker: John Boehner (R-Ohio), House Majority Leader: Eric
Cantor (R-VA);
House
Majority Whip: Kevin
McCarthy (R-CA)
House
Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA),House Minority Whip: Steny
Hoyer (D-MD)
Assistant Democratic Leader: Jim
Clyburn (D-SC)
Chair of
the House Appropriation Committee: Hal
Rogers, (R-KY)
Chair of
the House Armed Services Committee: Buck McKeon (R-CA)
Chair,
Veterans Affairs: Jeff Miller (R-FL)
Florida’s
Members of Congress 113th, 1st Session: Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Marco
Rubio (R-FL). Florida
has 17 Republicans and 10 Democrats in the House of Representatives.
Congratulations to returning Members of Congress from our surrounding
districts: Republicans Ander Crenshaw (4th) and John Mica (7th) and Democrat Corrine
Brown (3rd). We are especially pleased about Mr. Crenshaw’s election because of
his honorary membership in the MOAA Mayport chapter. Keep their contact
information available when military-related issues arise.
Military
Service: Only
nineteen percent of the 113th Congress served in the military. This is the
lowest number of veterans since WWII. Of this group of a little over 100, only
16 are veterans of the Iraq or Afghanistan wars. Twelve of the 90 new House
members are veterans while none the dozen new Senators have served.
Declines in congressional ranks could hold repercussions for the military
and veterans. Non-veterans run two of the four congressional committees
that determine military policy--Armed Services and Appropriations, but have
vigorously defended military interests. Among the most notable combat veterans
are Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Hawaii’s Daniel Akaka, the last remaining
World War II veteran. Senator McCain served in Vietnam as a naval aviator and
regretfully was captured and tortured as a prisoner of war for six-years.