New Member Orientation: What Happens Before the New Congress
Reviewed:
Between Election Day and the swearing-in on January 3, 2027, the House's newly elected members go to Washington for new member orientation. For the 120th Congress, it is set to begin on November 8 and run through November 18, 2026, according to a Republican aide quoted by Bloomberg Government. See who's joining the new Congress.
Who runs it and who goes
- The House's Committee on House Administration runs the program.
- Members-elect can attend even if their own race hasn't been called yet. In 2024, the committee invited 11 Republicans and 9 Democrats whose races were still uncalled. Follow this year's on still counting.
What happens
- Training, briefings and guest speakers. In 2024 the program lasted about 10 days.
- Paperwork. In 2024, members-elect could sign documents electronically and choose how their constituents' casework would be handled if they left Congress unexpectedly.
- The class photo of the incoming members.
- Leadership votes. Each party picks its leaders for the new Congress in the same weeks: House Democrats vote on November 18 and 19, and Senate Republicans on November 10. See how Congress picks its leaders.
The office lottery
New members don't choose their offices: they draw for them.
- Returning members go first. They can move into offices left empty by departing members, in order of seniority.
- Then the freshmen draw. One by one, in a random order, each member-elect (or a staffer) draws a numbered chip from a wooden box. No. 1 picks first from the offices that are left.
- Most freshmen end up in the Longworth or Cannon buildings, often in the least sought-after corners, with long walks to the House floor.
After orientation
- Harvard's Institute of Politics holds its Bipartisan Program for Newly Elected Members of Congress, a seminar for incoming House members that started in 1972. This year's is scheduled for December 6–8, 2026.
- The 120th Congress convenes at noon on Sunday, January 3, 2027, the date the 20th Amendment sets unless a law picks another day. The House first elects its Speaker and then swears in its members. See when the new Congress takes office.
Dates can still change. This page lists what had been reported by November 6, 2026.
Sources: Bloomberg Government, "Incoming House Members Will Descend on Washington Next Week" (November 2, 2026); Roll Call, "Incoming members of Congress descend on Capitol Hill for orientation" (November 12, 2024) and "Cheers, jeers and long-walk fears: Lottery decides freshman office spots" (November 21, 2024); Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics; Bipartisan Policy Center, "The 2026 Midterms: Key Dates and Events"; U.S. Constitution, 20th Amendment.
Questions and answers
When is new member orientation for the 120th Congress?
It is scheduled for November 8 to 18, 2026, in Washington, according to a Republican aide quoted by Bloomberg Government.
How do new House members get their offices?
By lottery. Returning members first move into empty offices by seniority; then each freshman draws a numbered chip, in random order, and picks from the offices that are left.
When are new members of Congress sworn in?
On January 3, 2027, when the 120th Congress convenes at noon. In the House, members are sworn in after the Speaker is elected.
More explainers
- When Will We Know Who Won the House and Senate?
- How Election Recounts Work: Thresholds, Costs and Odds
- Georgia's December 1 Runoff Explained
- What Is a Lame-Duck Session of Congress?
- When Do Newly Elected Members of Congress and Governors Take Office?
- Redistricting in 2026: Which States Redrew Their House Maps
- How Congress Picks Its Party Leaders After the 2026 Midterms
- How Do News Outlets Call an Election Race?
- Why Do Some States Take Weeks to Count Votes?
See an error on this page? Let us know · Missing something? Suggest it