Class of 2027 Illinois congressional delegation arrives in Washington

Newly elected members of the Illinois congressional delegation on Sunday began a two-week “freshman” orientation in Washington — just days after Democrats swept races across the country in a repudiation of Trump administration policies.

The state will see five new faces in Congress next year after a series of retirements created a seismic shift in Illinois politics. Senator-elect Juliana Stratton arrived in Washington on Monday for a two-day Senate orientation after winning the open race to succeed Sen. Dick Durbin.

And yes, there is a group chat for the five incoming members of the House: Daniel Biss, Patty Garcia, Melissa Bean, Donna Morgan and La Shawn Ford. Bean, who won the 8th Congressional District after Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi opted to run for the Senate seat, is of course not a new face in Congress. She previously represented the district from 2005 to 2011.

“We're connecting throughout the day," Garcia said.

"Some of us came in earlier. Daniel Biss and myself came in earlier for the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Some of the other members came in earlier for the New Dems caucus,” she added. “It was a day focused more on, what is the progressive agenda for us? What are we fighting for? What are making sure that is front and center as we work with other Dems and leadership?"

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Monday’s orientation included information sessions about setting up congressional offices, including a session about chiefs of staff and other staffing. A post-lunch session is called “If I knew then what I know now,” with fellow members of Congress.

House Leader Hakeem Jeffries is holding an event for Democratic members-elect and their spouses at the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall on Tuesday night. There’s also a reception for members at the Library of Congress on Wednesday evening and a Saturday night reception at the National Air and Space Museum.

Garcia said the newly elected Illinois Democrats are sharing ideas about what they want to accomplish next year.

“I know for me, having been working on the immigration front and knowing how critical it is to ensure that we have allies on immigration, I know that I'm going take it upon my upon myself to coordinate the the new members to do an immigration briefing with some of our trusted immigration organizations and lawyers that can walk us through the big picture,” Garcia said. “Here's immigration policy, and then here's some of the recent kinds of initiatives and moving forward. What we need to do as a Democratic caucus.”

Beyond orientation, members are also trying to secure coveted committee assignments. New members typically submit their list of preferred committees to a steering and outreach committee.

Garcia is aiming for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the influential House Judiciary Committee. She plans to be part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, alongside Biss, as well as the Congressional Labor Caucus.

Stratton will be part of the Congressional Black Caucus and is interested in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, as well as the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which Durbin currently serves as the ranking member. Stratton's two-day training includes sessions on cybersecurity, ethics and anti-harassment. She's also planning to attend a Black Caucus lunch and a new member reception with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

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Ford, who won the 7th Congressional District after Rep. Danny Davis announced his retirement, said the bipartisan orientation is giving new members a chance to have real conversations with members of Congress on the other side of the aisle.

“This is probably the first and last time — this orientation — that we'll probably all agree that we need each other. We all feel vulnerable at this point to setting up office,” Ford said. “So the Republicans and Democrats are alike in this, and so hopefully we can build a relationship with our Republican members, so we could do bipartisan work.”

Ford said he’s hoping for a spot on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. And he’s among incoming Democrats who believe there should be a push for legislation to help Americans struggling with affordability — while also keeping the Trump administration accountable through hearings.

“We should go strong on domestic affairs to make life easier for families. But I think that being in a position to have the House and the Senate is a great deterrent for corruption for the president. And so I think that holding the president and the Republicans accountable is something that we now have in our midst to be able to do,” Ford said. “But the key is to make sure that that doesn't get in the way of bringing resources back to the 7th District. I mean, that's why we have to have strong leadership in Congress — so that we could do both.”