On Politics

Thu Oct 12 2023

Marina Pitofsky | Associate Editor/Politics

Hi there OnPolitics readers! In less than a year, the 118^th Congress has already made history.

There were significant firsts, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries becoming the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress, USA TODAY's Savannah Kuchar reports.

But the upper and lower chambers have also prompted more offbeat headlines, from marathon votes for House speaker to bribery and fraud charges. Here's a recap of history-making moments:

Kevin McCarthy's marathon election: A hold-out faction among House Republicans stalled the vote for House speaker for four days − and 15 rounds of voting − in January.

George Santos indicted on fraud charges: The New York Republican faces a 23-count indictment accusing him of stealing campaign donor identities and using their credit cards to for unauthorized charges.

Who wore it best? A minor rule change that allowed for casual dress in the Senate sparked an immediate backlash. Senators went on to pass a resolution codifying a formal dress code for lawmakers.

Gold bars and bribes? Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was indicted last month for a second time, after he and his wife allegedly accepted bribes in the form of cash, a car and gold bars. He was indicted again today.

Read more here: 4 unusual ways this Congress has made history

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