FAS

A Profile of the 114th Congress, and More from CRS

02.05.15 | 2 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The membership of the new Congress has set several new demographic records, according to a survey by the Congressional Research Service.

“One hundred eight women (a record number) serve in the 114th Congress: 88 in the House, including four Delegates, and 20 in the Senate. There are 46 African American Members of the House and two in the Senate. This House number includes two Delegates. There are 38 Hispanic or Latino Members (a record number) serving: 34 in the House, including one Delegate and the Resident Commissioner, and four in the Senate. A record 14 Members (11 Representatives, two Delegates, and one Senator) are Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders. Two American Indians (Native Americans) serve in the House,” CRS found.

“The average age of Members of the House at the beginning of the 114th Congress was 57.0 years; of Senators, 61.0 years. The overwhelming majority of Members of Congress have a college education.” See Membership of the 114th Congress: A Profile, January 22, 2015.

Other new or newly updated CRS reports that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following.

Latin America and the Caribbean: Key Issues for the 114th Congress, January 28, 2015

Nigeria’s 2015 Elections and the Boko Haram Crisis, January 28, 2015

Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2015 Action in the 114th Congress, January 30, 2015

H.R. 399, the Secure Our Borders First Act of 2015: Report in Brief, January 27, 2015

Same-Sex Marriage: A Legal Overview, January 30, 2015

Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline, January 22, 2015

In Re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001: Claims Against Saudi Defendants Under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), January 22, 2015

Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations, January 23, 2015

Defense: FY2015 Authorization and Appropriations, January 28, 2015

U.S. Trade Concepts, Performance, and Policy: Frequently Asked Questions, January 30, 2015

Bitcoin: Questions, Answers, and Analysis of Legal Issues, January 28, 2015

Multilateral Development Banks: U.S. Contributions FY2000-FY2015, January 26, 2015

Who Regulates Whom and How? An Overview of U.S. Financial Regulatory Policy for Banking and Securities Markets, January 30, 2015

Oil Sands and the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund: The Definition of “Oil” and Related Issues for Congress, January 22, 2015

U.S.-Mexico Water Sharing: Background and Recent Developments, January 23, 2015

National Security Letters: Proposals in the 113th Congress, January 22, 2015

publications
See all publications
Government Capacity
Policy Memo
We Need a U.S. Permitting Corps: Executive and Legislative Recommendations

Despite significant political momentum behind reform efforts, limited attention has been paid to the federal workforce that will actually be responsible for interpreting and implementing new permitting regulations and better outcomes.

07.08.26 | 10 min read
read more
Environment
Press release
Amid Sweltering Weather, the Federation of American Scientists Releases Expert-Sourced “State and Local Heat Policy Agenda”

Nearly 150 organizations and government officials have endorsed the call to action and solutions for extreme heat, now public at HeatAgenda.US Washington, D.C. – July 7, 2026 – As millions of Americans continue to struggle to stay cool following one of the hottest Independence Day holidays on record, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), one […]

07.07.26 | 3 min read
read more
Environment
Issue Brief
Policy Memo
The State and Local Heat Policy Agenda

Addressing rising heat will take all of us. Together, we can create heat-safe homes, workplaces, schools, childcare facilities, and communities – the backbone of a heat-ready nation.

07.07.26 | 5 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
Blog
A conversation with Lee Hood on The Human Phenome Initiative and the next frontier in biomedical research

We sat down with biomedical research pioneer Lee Hood to talk moonshots, metascience in medicine, and the Human Phenome Initiative.

07.06.26 | 9 min read
read more