The Pew Forum recently released its “Faith on the Hill” report examining the religious composition of the newly seated 113th Congress of the United States.
Of the 533 members of Congress, 8.1 percent are Presbyterian. While Presbyterians comprise only 3 percent of the U.S. adult population, they continue to enjoy greater representation in both houses of Congress where 43 Presbyterians are now serving. However, that influence has declined significantly over time. The report notes that “In many ways, the changes in the religious makeup of Congress during the last half-century mirror broader changes in American society. Congress, like the nation as a whole, has become much less Protestant and more religiously diverse. (Read the Pew Forum’s October 2012 report “‘Nones’ on the Rise”)
Many of the former so-called mainline denominations have lost representation in Congress in the past half century. In terms of votes on the floor, the Presbyterian influence has diminished from 15 percent in 1969-1971 to 8.1 percent today.
Party affiliation
Of the 28 Presbyterian House members, eight are Democrats and 20 are Republicans. Of the 15 Presbyterian Senators, six are Democrats and nine are Republicans according to the Pew report.
As the social witness positions of the Presbyterian Church (USA) largely line up with more progressive political ideology, one wonders how the majority of Presbyterians in Congress who are Republicans feel about their denomination’s advocacy on Capitol Hill.
Who are they?
40 of the 43 Presbyterians on the Hill are incumbents and can be found on the list of the 112th legislators. The list for the 113th is expected out soon.