Grace Thompson
Catholics are the largest Christian denomination represented in the US Congress, with 150 members in the 119th Congress. This is an increase of two members from the 118th Congress, bringing the percentage of Catholics in Congress from 27.7% to 28.2%. Catholics make up 32% of the House of Representatives and about a quarter of the Senate.
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What You'll Learn
Catholics are the largest Christian denomination in Congress
Catholics make up one-third of the House of Representatives (32%) and about a quarter of the Senate. In the House, there are 126 Catholic members, 70 of whom are Democrats and 56 of whom are Republicans. In the Senate, there are 24 Catholic members, 13 Democrats and 11 Republicans. Overall, there is a small majority of Catholic Democrats in Congress.
The religious makeup of Congress is significantly Christian, with Christians accounting for about 85% of Congress. This is similar to the 87th Congress in 1961, when 95% of Congress members were Christian. However, the proportion of Protestants has decreased over time, from 87% in 1961 to 56% today.
Catholics are overrepresented in Congress compared to their proportion of the US population. They are also more represented than other religious groups, such as Buddhists, Mormons, Muslims, and Orthodox Christians, who are represented in roughly equal proportion to their numbers in the US public.
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Catholic representation in Congress is over 28%
Catholics are the largest Christian denomination represented in Congress, with 150 members in the 119th Congress. This represents a slight increase from the 118th Congress, which had 148 Catholic members. The percentage of Catholic members in Congress has increased from 27.7% to 28.2%, which is over eight percentage points more than the proportion of US adults who identify as Catholic (20%).
The Catholic members of the 119th Congress include 126 members of the House and 24 Senators. The majority of Catholic members in both chambers are Democrats, with 70 Democrats in the House and 13 in the Senate. There are 56 Catholic Republicans in the House and 11 in the Senate.
Catholics make up majorities of congressional delegations from six states: Alaska, Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. They also make up half of the delegations from Iowa, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
The religious makeup of Congress has changed over time. In 1961, when data on the religious makeup of Congress was first collected, 95% of Congress members were Christian, with 87% being Protestant and 56% today. The percentage of Catholics in Congress has also increased over time, from 19% in the 87th Congress to 31% in the current Congress.
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Catholics make up one-third of the House
Catholics currently make up one-third of the House of Representatives, with 126 Catholic representatives out of a total of 459 incumbents. This is an increase from the 118th Congress, which had 148 Catholic members. The 119th Congress now has 150 Catholic members, bringing the percentage of Catholic representatives to 28.2%.
The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination represented in Congress, with Christians accounting for about 85% of the legislative body. The religious makeup of Congress is notably more Christian than the general American population, with Catholics comprising around 20% of US adults. This means that Catholics are overrepresented in Congress by more than eight percentage points.
The majority of Catholic representatives in the House are Democrats, with 70 Democrats and 56 Republicans identifying as Catholic. This reflects a more even split between Protestants and Catholics among the Democrats, with 42% identifying as Protestant and 37% as Catholic. In contrast, Republicans in Congress are predominantly Protestant (67%), with 27% identifying as Catholic.
The high percentage of Christians in Congress is similar to the 87th Congress in 1961 when 95% of Congress members were Christian. However, there has been a notable shift within Christian denominations, with a decline in the number of Protestants over the years. In 1961, Protestants made up 87% of Congress, compared to 56% today.
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Catholics are a quarter of the Senate
Catholics are a significant religious group in the United States Senate, comprising around a quarter of the Senate, or 22 out of 100 senators. This proportion has increased slightly over time, from 19% of the 87th Congress in 1961 to 28.2% in the 119th Congress. This makes Catholics the largest Christian denomination represented in the Senate, and they are overrepresented in the Senate compared to their proportion of the US population.
The religious makeup of the US Senate is overwhelmingly Christian, with Catholics being the largest denomination. In the 119th Congress, Christians made up about 85% of the Senate, with Protestants comprising just under 56%, and Orthodox Christians making up 1.1%. The second-largest religious faith represented in the Senate is Judaism, which accounts for about 6% of senators.
The representation of Catholics in the Senate has fluctuated over time, but they have consistently made up a significant portion of senators. In recent years, the number of Catholic senators has increased, with 24 Catholic senators in the 119th Congress. This represents a slight increase from previous years, with 22 Catholic senators in the 115th Congress and 118th Congress.
The majority of Catholic senators in the 119th Congress were Democrats, with 13 Democratic senators and 11 Republican senators. This breakdown between Democrats and Republicans among Catholic senators is relatively even, reflecting the diverse religious composition of both parties.
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Catholics are overrepresented in Congress
Catholics are indeed overrepresented in Congress. According to Pew Research Center, about 20% of adults in the United States identify as Catholic, while Catholics make up 28.2% of the 119th Congress, a difference of more than eight percentage points. This disparity is even more pronounced when considering the breakdown by chamber. In the House of Representatives, Catholics make up 32% of the members, while in the Senate, they account for about 24% of the members.
This overrepresentation of Catholics in Congress is not a new phenomenon. For example, in the 115th Congress, Catholics comprised one-third of the House of Representatives and about a quarter of the Senate. Even further back, in the 87th Congress in 1961, Catholics made up 19% of the legislative body, while they only represented 14% of the total US population at the time.
Several factors may contribute to the overrepresentation of Catholics in Congress. One factor could be the religious makeup of the states and districts that these members of Congress represent. Catholics make up majorities of congressional delegations from six states (Alaska, Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont) and half of the delegations from three other states (Iowa, New Jersey, and Rhode Island).
Additionally, the political affiliation of Catholic members of Congress may also play a role in their overrepresentation. While the majority of Catholics in both chambers are Democrats, with 70 in the House and 13 in the Senate, there is also a significant number of Catholic Republicans, with 56 in the House and 11 in the Senate. This presence in both major parties may contribute to the high number of Catholic members in Congress.
The overrepresentation of Catholics in Congress is notable, especially when compared to other religious groups. While Catholics are the largest Christian denomination represented, other religious groups, such as Jews, who make up 2% of the US adult population, have six percent representation in Congress. This overrepresentation of certain religious groups in Congress, including Catholics, highlights the disparity between the religious makeup of the legislative body and the general population.
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Frequently asked questions
There are 150 Catholics in the US national legislature, which is 28.2% of the total.
There are 126 Catholics in the House of Representatives, which is 32% of the chamber.
There are 24 Catholics in the Senate, which is 24% of the chamber.
Christians make up 85% of Congress, with Jews making up 6%, Mormons 1.7%Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Humanists, and Universalist Unitarians each accounting for less than 1%.
Some religious groups are overrepresented in Congress relative to the general population. For example, Jews make up 2% of the US adult population but 6% of Congress. Conversely, religiously unaffiliated people make up 23% of the general public but only 0.2% of Congress.
