Yesterday marked the end of voter registration in Texas, and it has now entered the final 29-day countdown to the November 3 General Election.
Regardless of how the elections play out, the Texas congressional delegation is about to look very different. Twelve of the state’s 38 House members will not return in January, a record for Texas, and at least two more seats are rated as toss-ups in November. With that turnover, the delegation’s median House tenure will drop from 12 years to approximately six years, resulting in a significant loss of seniority and accumulated influence.
Texas held three committee chairmanships during President Trump’s first term and again holds three in the current Congress. House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington’s retirement at the end of this term could further diminish the state’s influence on Capitol Hill.
“When you have people that leave, you have to start again,” Representative Roger Williams (R-TX) told The Texas Tribune. “It’s like the minor leagues in baseball.”
Congress also faces a short and crowded finish to the year. Both chambers are out until November 9, following the November 3 election. From there, the House has about 20 days in session and the Senate about 22. Government funding expires December 11, so spending negotiations are expected to take up much of the remaining legislative calendar, with the Senate aiming to adjourn December 18.
What will all these changes in Texas, and beyond, mean for Texas community banks in the next Congress and during the 90th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature? Join the IBAT team and special guest Rob Blackwell, host of the Banking with Interest podcast, on Friday, November 6, at 10:00 a.m. CT as we continue the tradition of parsing the election results with a virtual presentation, “When the Dust Settles: A Post-Election Conversation.”
