After its 2020 membership expansion, the United States Semiquincentennial Commission had 36 members.
The commission originally consisted of 33 members when its commissioners were sworn in in 2018. That body included private citizens, members of Congress, and federal officials serving in an ex officio capacity.
A 2020 amendment changed the commission’s structure by increasing the number of nonvoting ex officio federal officials to 12. The overall membership consequently rose from 33 to 36.
The two figures are both associated with the commission, which can cause confusion. Thirty-three describes the original membership at the 2018 swearing-in, while 36 describes the expanded total after the amendment. The commission’s congressional members were designated by party leaders in the House and Senate, while private citizens were also appointed through congressional leadership.