The Labor Wire
Jan. 3, 2019
Today is the first day of the history-making 116th Congress, which now includes nearly a dozen union members and even more worker-friendly elected officials.
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Message of the Day—116th Congress Commences
The barrier-breaking 116th Congress includes a number of union members:
- Sen. Jacky Rosen (UNITE HERE) of Nevada;
- Rep. Ed Perlmutter (LIUNA) of Colorado;
- Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CWA) of Connecticut;
- Rep. Jahana Hayes (AFSA) of Connecticut;
- Rep. Dave Loebsack (AFT) of Iowa;
- Rep. Stephen Lynch (Ironworkers) of Massachusetts;
- Rep. Donald Norcross (IBEW) of New Jersey;
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal (NWU) of Washington;
- Rep. Kim Schrier (Public School Employees) of Washington;
- Rep. Denny Heck (Public School Employees) of Washington; and
- Rep. Ilhan Omar (AFSCME) of Minnesota.
The 116th Congress also includes:
- The largest class of women ever;
- The first two Native American women;
- The first two Muslim American women; and
- The first openly bisexual senator.