The 118th Congress Includes a Historic First

Republican Reps.-elect Wesley Hunt '04 of Texas and John James '04 of Michigan will be the first two African American graduates of West Point to serve in Congress. What's more, Hunt and James were both in the Class of 2004 with another relatively new veteran member of Congress, Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan '04 of New York, who won a special election in August and was elected to serve a full term in November. The trio have expressed optimism their shared military history can help them work together at a time when Congress is expected to be paralyzed by partisanship. "Working with somebody who you build that trust with, at West Point and at war, will be essential to move this nation forward," James '04 told news outlet Politico last month. Read more.