'President Pelosi' Trends on Twitter After Donald Trump Suggests Delaying the Election

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29. The Senate is not now, nor has it ever been "a continuing body" a common misconception

"Congress" is commonly used as a term referring to the House of Representatives and the Senate referred to by its name the Senate. This is actually incorrect.

The House and the Senate meet "in congress" for two year terms. This is the 116th Congress. It is the 116th formulation of the House and the 116th formulation of the Senate. This term of Congress expires on 1/3/2019 and a new Congress will be established.

This Congress started on 1/3/2019 and ends on 1/3/21. All of the offices, appointments and rules terminate on that day. There is no continuing offices, resolutions or rules. There is a procedure in each body to certify new members and only until that is completed can the 117th Congress of the United States begin its work. It will first elect its officers and then approve the standing rules. Until that happens there is no 117th Congress and no position of authority in the House or the Senate is "carried over".

Each Congress lasts exactly 2 years and then end. We don't have a Congress, we have had 117 official meetings of Congress, each constituted with its own leaders and rules with a starting day and an ending day.

In threads like this many will suppose that the Speaker continues, the Senate continues, etc. None of that is true because the 116th Congress will, like the 115 Congress's before it, come to an end, its term having expired.

It has also been postulated that Grassley will be the President Pro Tem (or Patrick Leahy) because they are the longest serving Senators in their party. That is by custom. If the PPT position were to actually become a likely President by succession I would assume that both parties would select someone more suitable for President, like Mitt Romney for the Republicans or Senator Warren for the Democrats.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/116th_United_States_Congress

The 116th United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and will end on January 3, 2021,