The
One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was
the
meeting of the
legislative branch of the
United States
federal government,
between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two
years of the
second
term of
President
George W. Bush. It was composed of the
Senate and the
House of
Representatives. The
apportionment
of seats in the House was based on the
2000 U.S. census.
The
Democratic
Party controlled a
majority in both
chambers for the first time since the end of the
103rd Congress in 1995.
Although the Democrats held fewer than 50 Senate seats, they had an
operational majority because the two
independent senators
caucused with the Democrats for
organizational purposes. No Democratic-held seats had fallen to the
Republican Party in
the
2006
elections. Democrat
Nancy Pelosi
became the first woman
Speaker of
the House. The House also received the first
Muslims and
Buddhists in
Congress.
Major events
Members debated initiatives such as the Democrats'
100-Hour Plan and the
Iraq
War troop surge of
2007.
Support for the Iraq War
Following President Bush's
2007 State of the Union Address,
Congress debated his proposal to create a troop surge to increase
security in Iraq. The House of
Representatives passed a non-binding measure opposing the surge and
then a
$124 billion emergency
spending measure to fund the war, which included language that
dictated troop levels and withdrawal schedules. President Bush,
however,
vetoed the bill as promised, making
this his second veto while in office. Both houses of Congress
subsequently passed a
bill funding the war without timelines, but with
benchmarks for the
Iraqi government and money for other
spending projects like
disaster
relief.
Other events
Major legislation
These are partial lists of prominent enacted legislation and
pending bills.
- See also: , Resume of Congressional Activity
Enacted
- February 2, 2007 — House Page Board Revision
Act of 2007, ,
- May 25, 2007 —
U.S.
Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq
Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007, , , including Title
VIII: Fair Minimum Wage
Act of 2007,
- June 14, 2007 — Preserving
United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007, ,
- July 26, 2007 — Foreign
Investment and National Security Act of 2007, ,
- August 3, 2007 — Implementing
Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, ,
- August 5, 2007 — Protect
America Act of 2007, ,
- September 14, 2007 — Honest Leadership and
Open Government Act, ,
- November 8, 2007 — Water Resources
Development Act of 2007, , - Veto
Overridden
- December 19, 2007 — Energy Independence
and Security Act of 2007, ,
- February 13, 2008 — Economic Stimulus Act of 2008,
,
- May 21, 2008 — Genetic Information
Nondiscrimination Act, ,
- May 22, 2008 — Food and Energy Security
Act of 2007 (2007 Farm Bill), , - Veto
Overridden
- June 30, 2008 — Supplemental
Appropriations Act of 2008, , , including Title V: Post-9/11
Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 ("G.I. Bill
2008")
- July 10, 2008 — FISA
Amendments Act of 2008, ,
- July 29, 2008 —
Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act of 2008, ,
- July 30, 2008 — Housing and Economic
Recovery Act of 2008, ,
- October 3, 2008 — Public Law
110-343 ( ), , including:
- October 15, 2008 — : Setting the beginning of the first session
of the 111th Congress and the date for counting Electoral College
votes,
- December 19, 2008 — : A Saxbe fix,
reducing the compensation and other emoluments attached to the
office of Secretary of State to that which was in effect on January
1, 2007: allowing Hillary Clinton to
serve as Secretary of
State despite the Emoluments
Clause of the United
States Constitution.
More information:
Public Laws for the 110th Congress and
Complete index of Public and Private Laws for 110th
Congress at GPO
Proposed, but not enacted
- in (alphabetical order)
Vetoed
Treaties ratified
- 110-1: Land-Based Sources Protocol to Cartagena Convention
(September 25, 2008)
- 110-2: Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks (December 07,
2007)
- 110-3: Tax Convention with Belgium (December 14, 2007)
- 110-4: International Convention for Suppression of Acts of
Nuclear Terrorism (September 25, 2008)
- 110-6: Amendment to Convention on Physical Protection of
Nuclear Material (September 25, 2008)
- 110-8: Protocols of 2005 to the Convention concerning Safety of
Maritime Navigation and to the Protocol concerning Safety of Fixed
Platforms on the Continental Shelf (September 25, 2008)
- 110-9: Protocol of Amendments to Convention on International
Hydrographic Organization (July 21, 2008)
- 110-11: Extradition Treaty with Romania and Protocol to the
Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters with Romania
(September 23, 2008)
- 110-12: Extradition Treaty with Bulgaria and an Agreement on
Certain Aspects of Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters with
Bulgaria (September 23, 2008)
- 110-13: International Convention on Control of Harmful
Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships, 2001 (September 26, 2008)
- 110-14: International Convention Against Doping in Sport (July
21, 2008)
- 110-15: Protocol Amending 1980 Tax Convention with Canada
(September 23, 2008)
- 110-16: Amendments to the Constitution and Convention of the
International Telecommunication Union (Geneva, 1992) (September 25,
2008)
- 110-17: Tax Convention with Iceland (September 23, 2008)
- 110-18: Tax Convention with Bulgaria with Proposed Protocol of
Amendment (September 23, 2008)
- 110-20: Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on
Accession of Albania and Croatia (September 25, 2008)
Select committees
Hearings
Party summary
Senate

Senators in the 110th Congress
Membership changed with one death and two resignations.
| Affiliation |
Party
(Shading indicates majority
caucus)
|
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic |
Independent |
Republican |
Vacant |
| End of previous Congress |
44 |
1 |
55 |
100 |
0 |
|
| Begin |
49 |
2 |
49 |
100 |
0 |
| June 4, 2007 |
48 |
99 |
1 |
| June 25, 2007 |
49 |
100 |
0 |
| December 18, 2007 |
48 |
99 |
1 |
| December 31, 2007 |
49 |
100 |
0 |
| November 16, 2008 |
48 |
99 |
1 |
| Final voting share |
50.5% |
49.5% |
|
|
| Beginning of the next Congress |
55 |
2 |
41 |
98 |
2 |
House of Representatives

Membership at the beginning of the
110th Congress:
Membership fluctuated with seven deaths and eight resignations.
Democrats achieved a net gain of three seats as a result of their
victories in
special elections.
See Changes in membership,
below.
| Affiliation |
Party
(Shading indicates majority
caucus)
|
Total |
|
|
|
|
| Democratic |
Republican |
Vacant |
| End of previous Congress |
203 |
229 |
432 |
3
|
|
| Begin |
233 |
202 |
435 |
0 |
| February 13, 2007 |
201 |
434 |
1 |
| April 22, 2007 |
232 |
433 |
2 |
| July 1, 2007 |
231 |
432 |
3 |
| July 25, 2007 |
202 |
433 |
2 |
| September 4, 2007 |
232 |
434 |
1 |
| September 5, 2007 |
201 |
433 |
2 |
| October 10, 2007 |
200 |
432 |
3 |
| October 18, 2007 |
233 |
433 |
2 |
| November 26, 2007 |
199 |
432 |
3 |
| December 13, 2007 |
201 |
434 |
1 |
| December 15, 2007 |
232 |
433 |
2 |
| December 31, 2007 |
200 |
432 |
3 |
| January 14, 2008 |
199 |
431 |
4 |
| February 2, 2008 |
198 |
430 |
5 |
| February 11, 2008 |
231 |
429 |
6 |
| March 11, 2008 |
232 |
430 |
5 |
| March 13, 2008 |
233 |
431 |
4 |
| April 10, 2008 |
234 |
432 |
3 |
| May 6, 2008 |
235 |
433 |
2 |
| May 7, 2008 |
199 |
434 |
1 |
| May 20, 2008 |
236 |
435 |
0 |
| May 31, 2008 |
235 |
434 |
1 |
| June 19, 2008 |
236 |
435 |
0 |
| August 20, 2008 |
235 |
434 |
1 |
| November 19, 2008 |
236 |
435 |
0 |
| November 24, 2008 |
198 |
434 |
1 |
| January 2, 2009 |
235 |
433 |
2 |
| Final voting share |
54.3% |
45.7% |
|
|
| Non-voting members |
4 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
|
| Beginning of next Congress |
256 |
178 |
434 |
1 |
Leadership
Senate
Majority (Democratic) leadership
Minority (Republican) leadership
House of Representatives
Majority (Democratic) leadership

Senators' party membership by state at
the opening of the 110th Congress in January 2007
Minority (Republican) leadership
Members
Senate
House of Representatives
for maps of congressional districts.

Initial percentage of members
of the House of Representatives from each party by state at the
opening of the 110th Congress in January 2007.

Percentage of members of the
House of Representatives (as of May 13, 2008) from each party by
state.
(5-2 Republican)
(1 Republican)
(4–4 split)
(3-1 Democratic)
(34-19 Democratic)
(4-3 Democratic)
(4-1 Democratic)
(1 Republican)
(16-9 Republican)
(7-6 Republican)
(2 Democrats)
(2 Republicans)
(10-9 Democratic, then 11-8 Democratic)
(5-4 Democratic)
(3-2 Democratic)
(2–2 split)
(4-2 Republican)
(5-2 Republican, then 4-3 Republican)
(2 Democrats)
(6-2 Democratic)
(10 Democrats)
(9-6 Republican)
(5-3 Democratic)
(2–2 split, then 3-1 Democratic)
(5-4 Republican)
(1 Republican)
(3 Republicans)
(2-1 Republican)
(2 Democrats)
(7-6 Democratic)
(2-1 Republican)
(23-6 Democratic)
(7-6 Democratic)
(1 Democrat)
(11-7 Republican)
(4-1 Republican)
(4-1 Democratic)
(11-8 Democratic)
(2 Democrats)
(4-2 Republican)
(1 Democrat)
(5-4 Democratic)
(19-13 Republican)
(2-1 Republican)
(1 Democrat)
(8-3 Republican, then 7-3 Republican)
(6-3 Democratic)
(2-1 Democratic)
(5-3 Democratic)
(1 Republican)
Non-voting members
Changes in membership
Senate
There were two deaths and one resignation.
House of Representatives
| District |
Vacator |
Reason for Vacancy |
Successor |
Date of successor's taking office |
| Georgia
10th |
Charlie Norwood (R) |
Died February 13, 2007 |
Paul Broun (R) |
July 25, 2007 |
| California
37th |
Juanita
Millender-McDonald (D) |
Died April 22, 2007 |
Laura Richardson (D) |
September 4, 2007 |
|
Massachusetts 5th |
Marty Meehan (D) |
Resigned July 1, 2007, to become Chancellor
of University of Massachusetts
Lowell |
Niki Tsongas (D) |
October 18, 2007 |
| Ohio
5th |
Paul Gillmor (R) |
Died September 5, 2007 |
Bob Latta (R) |
December 13, 2007 |
| Virginia
1st |
Jo Ann Davis (R) |
Died October 6, 2007 |
Rob Wittman (R) |
December 13, 2007 |
| Illinois
14th |
Dennis Hastert (R) |
Resigned November 26, 2007 |
Bill Foster
(D) |
March 11, 2008 |
| Indiana
7th |
Julia Carson (D) |
Died December 15, 2007 |
André Carson (D) |
March 13, 2008 |
| Mississippi
1st |
Roger Wicker (R) |
Resigned December 31, 2007, when appointed U.S. Senator |
Travis Childers (D) |
May 20, 2008 |
| Louisiana
1st |
Bobby Jindal (R) |
Resigned January 14, 2008 to become Governor of Louisiana |
Steve Scalise (R) |
May 7, 2008 |
| Louisiana
6th |
Richard Baker (R) |
Resigned February 2, 2008 to become President of the Managed
Funds Association |
Don Cazayoux (D) |
May 6, 2008 |
| California
12th |
Tom Lantos (D) |
Died February 11, 2008 |
Jackie Speier (D) |
April 10, 2008 |
| Maryland
4th |
Albert Wynn (D) |
Resigned May 31, 2008, having lost re-nomination |
Donna Edwards (D) |
June 19, 2008 |
| Ohio
11th |
Stephanie Tubbs Jones
(D) |
Died August 20, 2008 |
Marcia Fudge (D) |
November 19, 2008 |
| Virginia
11th |
Thomas M. Davis (R) |
Resigned November 24, 2008 in advance of his retirement |
Vacant until the next Congress |
| Illinois's
5th |
Rahm Emanuel (D) |
Resigned January 2, 2009 to become White House Chief of Staff |
| Puerto
Rico |
Luis Fortuño (R and PNP) |
Resigned January 2, 2009 to become Governor of Puerto Rico |
Employees
Senate
House of Representatives
See also: Rules of the House: "Other officers and
officials"
See also
Elections
Membership lists
References
- CBS News, Voters Usher Out Republicans
- ruthholladay.com - Andre Carson on identity and
belief
- DAWN (Newspaper)
- Leader Staff Dennis Kucinich's Response To President Bush's
Speech January 11, 2007 Cleveland Leader. Retrieved January 13,
2007
- ;
- Senators of the 110th Congress "Lieberman, Joseph
I." United States Senate. Retrieved January 8,
2007
- Including one Independent who caucused with the Democrats
- The Vice President of the United States serves as the President
of the Senate. See U.S. Constitution,
Article I, Section 3, Clause 4
- The Democratic Senate Majority Leader also serves as the
Chairman of the Democratic Conference.
- Senators of the United States 1789–2007: A
Chronological list of Senators from the First Congress to the 111th
Congress
- Rep. Millender-McDonald Dies of Cancer.
Washington Post, April 22, 2007
- List of Vacancies, via Clerk.House.gov
- , Electing Lula Johnson Davis Secretary for the Majority of the
Senate
- Election of Clerk of the House and Chief Administrative
Officer
External links