Capital Snapshot: 2nd Session Of The 119th Congress

2026 Senate Calendar

• There are currently 150 legislative session days scheduled for 2026; this number was 179 in 2025, though both numbers could be slightly off since the Senate often leaves town on Thursday rather than Friday.
• The 2nd session of the 119th Congress began on January 5.
• The Senate's annual August recess will run from August 10 to September 11.
• The Senate will once again have its biennial election year October recess from October 5 to November 6.
• The Senate's last day of session for the 119th Congress is currently scheduled for December 18, though that could get pushed closer to Christmas if Congress needs to pass an omnibus package or Continuing Resolution (CR) before the end of 2026.

2026 House Calendar

• There are currently 115 legislative session days scheduled for 2026; this number was 131 in 2025, though 23 of the legislative days were cancelled due to the government shutdown.
• The 2nd session of the 119th Congress began on January 6, one day after the Senate's start date.
• The House's annual August recess will run from July 27 to August 28; the House's recess will begin and end two weeks earlier than the Senate's.
• The House, like the Senate, will once again have its biennial election year October recess from October 5 to November 6.
• The House's last day of session for the 119th Congress is currently scheduled for December 17.

Congressional and Political Key Dates for 2026

Congressional Update

Congressional Developments – Rep. Newhouse Announces Retirement

• On December 17, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04) announced he will not run for re-election in 2026. He will retire at the end of his current term when the 119th Congress ends.
  • Rep. Newhouse is currently serving his 6th term representing Washington state's 4th congressional district, which includes much of the central part of the state. The district is the most Republican district in Washington state.
  • Rep. Newhouse has served in public office for over 20 years; he was the Director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture from 2009 to 2013 and was a member of the Washington State House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009.
  • Notably, Rep. Newhouse is one of only 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump over the January 6, 2021 attack at the Capitol. When he departs Congress, Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) will be the only remaining House Republican who voted to impeach the president.

Congressional Developments – Wyoming

• On December 19, Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) announced not seek re-election in 2026. she will
  • The Senator will retire after serving only one term in the Senate.
  • Upon announcing her plans to retire, Sen. Lummis stated, "Deciding not to run for re-election does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I've come to accept that I do not have six more years in me. I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon. The energy required doesn't match up."
• In response, Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) announced that she will run for Sen. Lummis' Senate seat in 2026. on December 23
  • Rep. Hageman has represented Wyoming in the U.S. House as the state's at-large representative since 2023. She defeated former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in the 2022 Republican primary.
  • Within hours of her announcement, President Trump endorsed Rep. Hageman in her Senate campaign in a post on Truth Social.
  • Between how deep red Wyoming is, and President Trump's endorsement, Rep. Hageman has the inside track to become Wyoming's next U.S. Senator.

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