WASHINGTON (WSLS 10) More than fifty new members of congress are in Washington, DC this week for freshman orientation.
They are learning ethical and procedural rules, which includes voting in internal, party leadership elections.
The new men and women of Capitol Hill are also setting up their local and district offices and assembling their staff.
Tom Garrett is among the newcomers, representing Virginia's 5th district.
Garrett said, "I think this election we sort of saw a lot of people get engaged who maybe hadn't been before and I think that's reflected in this freshman class."
The top items on the agenda for the former state senator include a decrease in national spending, Obamacare, and an increase in jobs.
"We need to reign in our out of control spending and take down the federal debt," said Garrett. "I think one of the ways to do that is to sort of go back to the foundational outlines for what is and isn't appropriate roles of government for each level."
Today is the last day of orientation and he will be sworn into the new role in January.