As 2012 comes to a close, the American people look forward to the promise and opportunity of the New Year. Despite the last-minute turmoil over January’s fiscal cliff deadline, the United States Congress will begin 2013 with a fresh outlook, full of new faces and new opinions. Vice President Joe Biden swore in the 113th Congress on January 3rd, 2013. The group boasts one of the most diverse selections of Senators and Representatives that the US government has ever seen.

The amount of women serving in the 113th Congress is a record high, filling 20 Senate seats and 78 positions in the House of Representatives. This number surpasses the 112th Congress’s total amount by 7 seats.  The amount of openly gay Congressmen and Women has also increased by 3 seats, now totaling at 7. Albeit a small number, these 7 can be seen as a testament towards the acceptance of members of American society who identify themselves as LGBT.

Within political parties, Democrats retain control within the Senate, securing 53 out of the 100 seats while Republicans maintain power in the House of Representatives with 233 seats compared to the 200 held by Democrats. With the end of the 112th Congress, 12 members who identify as veterans were will not be reinstated into the 113th .

Many do not know these demographics, although they are progressive. Sophomore Julia Francese said “I didn’t realize how diverse it was. I never knew that there were openly gay congressmen and women.” When asked if she thought the new diversity within Congress will bring anything new to the table, she said “I think it definitely will. Having more women will bring attention to things like women’s rights and the pro-life/pro-choice argument, and having so many openly gay members will probably bring up the issue of gay marriage.”

As this new Congress’s term begins, one cannot expect complete political harmony derived from the newfound diversity. The men and women represented by these statistics will bring their opinions and beliefs to light in the coming years. Whether they will be met with agreement or not, only time will unveil.