It began during the last weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of Barack Obama's presidency.

[4] The 111th Congress had the most long-serving members in history: at the start of the 111th Congress, the average member of the House had served 10.3 years, while the average Senator had served 13.4 years.

[5] The Democratic Party would not simultaneously control both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate again until more than a decade later, during the 117th Congress.

At the encouragement of the Obama administration, Congress devoted significant time considering health care reform.

Other major reform proposals during the health care debate included: Proposed bills include (in alphabetical order):[b] Section contents: Senate: Majority (D), Minority (R) • House: Majority (D), Minority (R) In this Congress, Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 2010; Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 2012; and Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 2014.