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Home , Bill Hagerty, Catherine Cortez Masto, Cory Booker, Cynthia Lummis, John Hickenlooper, John Thune

A LOOK BACK AT THE 2020 ELECTIONS AND A PREVIEW OF THE 117TH CONGRESS

DECEMBER 2020 Overview

ore than 161 million voted in this year’s elections, the highest turnout ever. Democrats have maintained control of the U.S. House of Representatives and won the , with M being sworn in as the 46th President of the on January 20, 2021. Control of the U.S. Senate will be determined by the results of two Georgia runoff races being held in January. Those election results will also determine whether there will be a divided federal government or if Democrats will control Congress and the White House. This report provides a recap of the election results in the Senate, House, and presidential election; House and Senate leadership of the 117th Congress; and the expected leadership of the committees of interest to public power. The Senate

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Democratic gain Democratic hold Republican gain Republican hold No election The Senate

New Senators at a Glance

Democrats

Pictured above, from left to right, Senators Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), (D-CO), and (D-AZ)

Republicans

Pictured above, from left to right, Senators (R-TN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), (R-WY), and (R-AL)

Senate Democratic Leadership Senate Republican Leadership l (D-NY) – Democratic Leader l Mitch McConnell (R-KY) – Republican Leader l (D-IL) – Democratic l (R-SD) – Republican Whip l (D-WA) – Assistant Leader l (R-WY) – Republican Conference Chair l (D-MI) – Chair of Democractic Policy l (R-MO) – Republican Policy Committee Chair and Communications Committee l (R-IA) – Republican Conference Vice Chair l (D-WV) – Vice Chair of Democractic Policy l (R-FL) – Chair of National Republican and Communications Committee Senatorial Committee l (D-NJ) – Vice Chair of Democractic Policy and Communications Committee l (D-MA) – Vice Chair of the Conference l (D-VA) – Vice Chair of the Conference l (D-MN) – Chair of Steering Committee l (D-VT) – Chair of Outreach l Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) – Vice Chair of Outreach l (D-WI) – Conference Secretary The Senate

Republicans defended 23 seats and Democrats defended Senate Commerce, Science, 12 seats this cycle. Incumbent Senators (R-CO), & Transportation Committee Martha McSally (R-AZ), and (D-AL) lost reelection Public power issues under its jurisdiction: captive rail, this November. Senators (R-TN), (R- communications (i.e., pole attachments and spectrum), drones, WY), (R-KS), and Tom Udall (D-NM) did not seek and grid security. reelection in 2020. If Republicans maintain their majority, Senator Roger Wick- Two Senate races in Georgia, in seats currently held by Repub- er (R-MS) will retain the chairmanship. Senator lican Senators David Perdue and , will be decided in (D-WA) will remain the ranking member on the committee (or a January runoff after no candidate secured the needed 50 percent become the chair if the Senate is controlled by Democrats). of the vote threshold to win the seat outright. The top two finish- ers advanced to the January runoff. Senator David Perdue is being Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee challenged by Democrat – Senator Perdue received Public power issues under its jurisdiction: reliability, Fed- 49.7 percent and Ossoff received 47.9 percent of the vote in the eral Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), transmission plan- November general election. In the other Georgia race, Senator ning, grid security, Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs), Kelly Loeffler is being challenged by Democrat hydropower, distributed energy resources, and interstate natural – Senator Loeffler received 25.9 percent while Warnock received gas pipeline permitting. 32.9 percent of the vote in the November general election. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) has announced he will re- The outcome of these two races will determine which party linquish his chairmanship of the Senate Environment & Public controls the U.S. Senate. Works Committee to become the top Republican on the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. (R-AK) is term-limited out as chairman and ranking member. Senator Key Senate Committees — Joe Manchin (D-WV) will remain as the ranking member on the Leadership and Agenda1 committee (or become the chair if Democrats win the majority).

Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, Senate Environment & Public Works Committee and Forestry Committee Public power issues under its jurisdiction: Clean Air Act, Public power issues under its jurisdiction: swaps and de- Clean Water Act, Environmental Protection Agency regulations, rivatives regulation (Commodities Futures Trading Commission). Endangered Species Act, Nuclear Regulatory Commission/nuclear Given Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) is retiring, Senator John issues, transportation issues, Resource Conservation and Recovery Boozman (R-AR) will likely succeed him as the top Republican on Act, Water Resources Development Act, and Valley the committee. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) will remain the Authority. ranking member (or become chair if Democrats are in the majori- Senator (R-WV) will likely replace ty in the 117th Congress). current Chair John Barrasso, who announced he will relinquish his chairmanship of the committee to become the lead Republican on Senate Appropriations Committee the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. Senator Tom Public power issues under its jurisdiction: annual spend- Carper (D-DE) will remain the ranking member on the committee ing bills and appropriations bills for federal agencies. (or become chair if the Senate is controlled by Democrats). If Republicans maintain their majority, Senator (R-AL) will remain the chairman and Senator (D-VT) will remain the ranking member (or become chair if the Senate is controlled by Democrats).

1 Senate Republicans and Democrats have not selected committee leadership assignments yet. The Senate

Senate Finance Committee Looking Ahead to 2021 Public power issues under its jurisdiction: tax-exempt fi- (and Beyond) nancing, tax reform, Build America Bonds (BABs), and tax credits. If Republicans hold a narrow majority in the Senate, they are If Republicans remain in control of the Senate, Senator Mike likely to first consider bipartisan bills, focused on infrastructure Crapo (R-ID) will likely replace current chairman Charles Grassley and economic . If Democrats gain control of the Sen- (R-IA), who can no longer remain chairman due to term limits. ate, they could attempt to end the , which would have (D-OR) will remain ranking member. Should the wide-ranging implications on how the Senate operates. However, Democrats win the majority, Senator Wyden would chair the the prospects of this are low. committee. In 2022, Republicans will be defending 21 seats while Demo- crats will be defending 13 seats. Republican Senators Senate Homeland Security and Governmental (R-PA) and (R-NC) have already announced they Affairs Committee do not intend to seek reelection in 2022. Other incumbents, such Public power issues under its jurisdiction: grid security, as Senator (R-IA), could also announce plans to information sharing, and space weather. retire. Regardless of which party controls the Senate in the 117th If Republicans retain their majority, Senator Ron Johnson Congress, there will be a fierce and expensive battle for control of (R-WI) will remain chairman of the committee and Senator Gary the Senate in the 118th Congress. Peters (D-MI) will remain the ranking member (or become chair if Democrats are the majority in the 117th Congress). U.S. House of Representatives

While Democrats have retained control of the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans have netted a gain of nine seats thus far in the 117th Congress. Democrats have won 222 seats while Republicans have won 211 seats of the House races that have been called by the . Two seats have not been called yet, including one in Iowa and one in New York. U.S. House of Representatives

Democratic Leadership Key Committees in the l Presumptive Speaker of the House – (CA) House of Representatives – (The full House will hold a floor vote in January to elect this Leadership and Agenda position.) l Majority Leader – Steny Hoyer (D-MD) House Agriculture Committee l Majority Whip – Jim Clyburn (D-SC) Public power issues under its jurisdiction: swaps and de- l Assistant Speaker – Katherine Clark (D-MA) rivatives regulation (Commodities Futures Trading Commission). l Democratic Caucus Chair – Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) David Scott (D-GA) will replace Collin Peterson (D-MN), who l Democratic Caucus Vice Chair – Pete Aguilar (D-CA) lost his reelection, as chair of the committee. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) will serve as the top Republican on the committee; current l Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Ranking Member Michael Conaway (R-TX) is retiring. Chair –Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) l Democratic Policy & Communications Committee Co-Chairs: House Energy & Commerce (E&C) Committee Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Matt Cartwright Public power issues under its jurisdiction: Clean Air Act, (D-PA), and (D-CO) oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency, Nuclear Reg- l Caucus Leadership Representative (Members serving five terms ulatory Commission/nuclear issues, communications (i.e., pole at- or fewer) – Mondaire Jones (D-NY) tachments and spectrum), hydropower, Toxic Substances Control Act, energy issues, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Republican Leadership (D-NJ) will stay as chair of the committee. Greg l Minority Leader – Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) Walden (R-OR), who serves as ranking member, is retiring. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) will serve as the top Republican on the l Minority Whip – Steve Scalise (R-LA) committee. l Conference Chair – (R-WY) l Conference Vice Chair – Mike Johnson (R-LA) House Natural Resources Committee l Policy Committee Chair – (R-AL) Public power issues under its jurisdiction: Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs), Endangered Species Act, l National Republican Congressional Committee Chair (NRCC) – Tom Emmer (R-MN) hydropower, and water. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) will remain the chair of the committee. l Republican Conference Secretary – Richard Hudson (R-NC) Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AK) will replace current Ranking Member Rob Bishop (R-UT), who is retiring from Con- gress, as the top Republican on the committee.

House Ways & Means Committee Public power issues under its jurisdiction: tax-exempt fi- nancing, tax reform, Build America Bonds (BABs), and renewable energy tax credits. Richie Neal (D-MA) will remain the chair of the committee. Kevin Brady (R-TX) will remain the ranking member. U.S. House of Representatives

Looking Ahead to 2021 (and Beyond) House Democrats may address several issues of importance to public power, including COVID-relief legislation, infrastructure (electric vehicles, clean energy, etc.), and tax policy (i.e., resto- ration of advance refunding bonds, increasing the small-issuer exception, and providing public power utilities with comparable incentives). They will likely seek to move bipartisan bills that could be considered in the Senate, including legislation to stimu- late the economy. House Democrats, who have a narrower majority, will be focused on maintaining their majority in the 2022 elections. This is because the party in control of the presidency has historically lost seats in the midterm elections. Leadership roles among House Democrats will also be a key area to watch as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she does not plan to remain Speaker beyond 2022. Presidential Election

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AK 3 FL 20 HI 4

Biden Winner Trump Winner

Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the Unit- Vice President-elect will be the first African ed States on January 20, 2021. He defeated President Donald American and Asian-American woman to serve as vice president J. Trump by a projected margin of 306 to 232 electoral votes, of the United States. If Democrats win both runoff races in Geor- respectively (for comparison, President Trump defeated Democrat gia, she will be the deciding vote in the Senate and give Demo- by the same margin in 2016). The race was called crats control of the chamber. Gavin Newsom on November 7 after the Associated Press and other media outlets (D) will have to nominate a replacement for the Senate position declared him the winner in Pennsylvania and . Joe Biden vacated by Vice President-elect Harris. flipped , Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska’s second congres- sional district, Pennsylvania, and – parts of the nation won by President Trump in 2016. At 78 years of age, Joe Biden is the oldest president-elect ever.

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