116TH CONGRESS ENDS, 117th CONGRESS CONVENES, Jan 3, 2021, DC, 12:00 pm ET

The 116th Congress will end, and the 117th Congress will convene, on Sunday, January 3, 2021 at noon.

January 3 at noon is the date and time set by the Constitution for the convening of a new Congress every other year.  The date can be changed by law, and often is if the day falls on a weekend, but House and Senate leadership have decided to keep the date as is.  The membership of the 117th Congress will be sworn in at noon, although the outcomes of two Senate races in Georgia will not be determined until January 5 in run-off elections that day.

The 116th Congress will end the second before noon on January 3.  Votes could take place that morning with the current membership of Congress depending on the situation with the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). President Trump is threatening to veto the bill and has until December 23 to decide. If he does veto it, the House and Senate intend to try to override the veto and the morning of January 3 could be the day they try.  Stay tuned for legislative updates.