What is the date a new session of congress begins?
Ever since the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution changed the beginning of Congressional and Presidential / Vice-Presidential terms from March to January, each Congress has begun its first session in January. Before then, Congress typically began its sessions in December (a year after election), although many Congresses had special sessions before December. All first sessions begin in odd-numbered years.1789 : March1791 : October1793 & 1795 : December1797 : May1799 & 1801 : December1803 : October1805 : December1807 : October1809 : May1811 : November1813 : May1815-1835 : December1837 : September1839 : December1841 : May1843-1859 : December1861 : July1863 & 1865 : December1867-1871 : March1873 & 1875 : December1877 : October1879 : March1881-1891 : December1893 : August1895 : December1897 : March1899 & 1901 : December1903 : November1905 & 1907 : December1909 : March1911 & 1913 : April1915 : December1917 : April1919 : May1921 : April1923-1927 : December1929 : April1931 : December1933 : March1935-2013 : January