The 117th Congress officially began on January 3, which will reset the legislative docket and entail members of Congress introducing new legislation and reintroducing many bills that were not enacted into law over the last two years. The first items on the agenda will be procedural and administrative measures to set out the new Congress's rules and a joint session to vote on the certification of electoral votes to determine the November 2020 presidential election outcome.
 
The results of two January 5 Senate runoff elections in Georgia may have an enormous impact on the new Congress, as they stand to determine which party controls a majority of seats in the Chamber. If either of the two GOP incumbents in Georgia prevails, Republicans will hold 51 seats, giving Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) control of the legislative agenda. If the two Democratic candidates win, the Senate will be split 50-50, and incoming Vice President Kamala Harris will have the tie-breaking vote that would put the agenda in Democratic leader Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) hands. These Senate races' results could take some time to be resolved as it is expected to be an incredibly close race.
 
Impact on General Dentistry: AGD looks forward to advancing policy priorities that benefit general dentists, their patients, and the overall delivery of oral health care in the U.S. during the new session of Congress.