THE GOVERNMENT EXPLORER Sources & coverage

TWO MOMENTS. A DIFFERENT PICTURE.

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Compare who held office and the party makeup of Congress on two specific dates.

FIRST DATE

July 1, 2016

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PRESIDENT

House of Representatives

434 voting members

247 Republican187 Democratic

6 delegates and resident commissioners listed separately; they are not included in the voting-member totals above.

Senate

100 senators

54 Republican44 Democratic2 Independent

SUPREME COURT8 justices in serviceChief Justice: John G. Roberts Jr.

SECOND DATE

March 2, 1863

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ALPortrait unavailable

PRESIDENT

House of Representatives

209 voting members

116 Republican52 Democratic32 Unionist2 Constitutional Unionist2 Unspecified1 Conservative Republican1 Whig1 Independent Democrat1 Ind. Democrat1 Union

1 delegates and resident commissioners listed separately; they are not included in the voting-member totals above.

Senate

56 senators

34 Republican16 Democratic5 Unionist1 Unconditional Unionist

SUPREME COURT9 justices in serviceChief Justice: Roger Brooke Taney

THE PEOPLE BETWEEN THESE MOMENTS

Familiar faces. Different rosters.

0Listed on both dates

550Listed only on the first date

277Listed only on the second date

These are differences between two snapshots of Congress, the presidency, vice presidency, and Supreme Court. A person can hold a different office on each date. These counts do not measure every transition in between. Cabinet membership is excluded because historical coverage is incomplete.

Only on the first date 550 people

Only on the second date 277 people

Service history is indexed from 1789. Current Congress is checked against both official rosters. Cabinet coverage is a dated current snapshot. See coverage and methodology

Checked Sep 7, 2026

OPENING THE RECORD

See what changed.

July 1, 2016

Barack Obama

House of Representatives

Senate

March 2, 1863

Abraham Lincoln

House of Representatives

Senate

Familiar faces. Different rosters.

See what changed.

July 1, 2016

Barack Obama

House of Representatives

Senate

March 2, 1863

Abraham Lincoln

House of Representatives

Senate

Familiar faces. Different rosters.