80th United States Congress



































80th United States Congress


79th ←

→ 81st


USCapitol1956.jpg

United States Capitol (1956)

January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949
Senate President Vacant
Senate President pro tem
Arthur H. Vandenberg (R)
House Speaker
Joseph William Martin, Jr. (R)
Members 96 U.S. Senators
435 U.S. Representatives
3 non-voting delegates
Senate Majority Republican
House Majority Republican
Sessions

1st: January 3, 1947 – December 19, 1947
Special: November 17, 1947 – December 19, 1947
2nd: January 6, 1948 – December 31, 1948
Special: July 26, 1948 – August 7, 1948

The Eightieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1947, to January 3, 1949, during the third and fourth years of Harry Truman's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Sixteenth Census of the United States in 1940. Republicans gained a majority in both chambers for this Congress having gained thirteen Senate seats and fifty-seven House seats. Although the 80th Congress passed a total of 906 public bills,[1] President Truman nicknamed it the "Do Nothing Congress" and, during the 1948 election, campaigned as much against it as against his formal opponent, Thomas Dewey. The 80th Congress passed several significant pro-business bills, most famously the Marshall Plan and the Taft–Hartley Act, but it opposed most of Truman's Fair Deal bills. Truman's campaign strategy worked, and the Republicans lost nine Senate seats and seventy-three seats in the House, allowing the Democrats to begin the 81st Congress with twenty-one more seats than they had at the end of the 79th Congress. It also allowed Truman to win a term of his own right as President, having become President after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945.





Contents






  • 1 Major events


  • 2 Major legislation


  • 3 Constitutional amendments


  • 4 Party summary


    • 4.1 Senate


    • 4.2 House of Representatives




  • 5 Leadership


    • 5.1 Senate


      • 5.1.1 Majority (Republican) leadership


      • 5.1.2 Minority (Democratic) leadership




    • 5.2 House of Representatives


      • 5.2.1 Majority (Republican) leadership


      • 5.2.2 Minority (Democratic) leadership






  • 6 Caucuses


  • 7 Members


    • 7.1 Senate


      • 7.1.1 Alabama


      • 7.1.2 Arizona


      • 7.1.3 Arkansas


      • 7.1.4 California


      • 7.1.5 Colorado


      • 7.1.6 Connecticut


      • 7.1.7 Delaware


      • 7.1.8 Florida


      • 7.1.9 Georgia


      • 7.1.10 Idaho


      • 7.1.11 Illinois


      • 7.1.12 Indiana


      • 7.1.13 Iowa


      • 7.1.14 Kansas


      • 7.1.15 Kentucky


      • 7.1.16 Louisiana


      • 7.1.17 Maine


      • 7.1.18 Maryland


      • 7.1.19 Massachusetts


      • 7.1.20 Michigan


      • 7.1.21 Minnesota


      • 7.1.22 Mississippi


      • 7.1.23 Missouri


      • 7.1.24 Montana


      • 7.1.25 Nebraska


      • 7.1.26 Nevada


      • 7.1.27 New Hampshire


      • 7.1.28 New Jersey


      • 7.1.29 New Mexico


      • 7.1.30 New York


      • 7.1.31 North Carolina


      • 7.1.32 North Dakota


      • 7.1.33 Ohio


      • 7.1.34 Oklahoma


      • 7.1.35 Oregon


      • 7.1.36 Pennsylvania


      • 7.1.37 Rhode Island


      • 7.1.38 South Carolina


      • 7.1.39 South Dakota


      • 7.1.40 Tennessee


      • 7.1.41 Texas


      • 7.1.42 Utah


      • 7.1.43 Vermont


      • 7.1.44 Virginia


      • 7.1.45 Washington


      • 7.1.46 West Virginia


      • 7.1.47 Wisconsin


      • 7.1.48 Wyoming




    • 7.2 House of Representatives


      • 7.2.1 Alabama


      • 7.2.2 Arizona


      • 7.2.3 Arkansas


      • 7.2.4 California


      • 7.2.5 Colorado


      • 7.2.6 Connecticut


      • 7.2.7 Delaware


      • 7.2.8 Florida


      • 7.2.9 Georgia


      • 7.2.10 Idaho


      • 7.2.11 Illinois


      • 7.2.12 Indiana


      • 7.2.13 Iowa


      • 7.2.14 Kansas


      • 7.2.15 Kentucky


      • 7.2.16 Louisiana


      • 7.2.17 Maine


      • 7.2.18 Maryland


      • 7.2.19 Massachusetts


      • 7.2.20 Michigan


      • 7.2.21 Minnesota


      • 7.2.22 Mississippi


      • 7.2.23 Missouri


      • 7.2.24 Montana


      • 7.2.25 Nebraska


      • 7.2.26 Nevada


      • 7.2.27 New Hampshire


      • 7.2.28 New Jersey


      • 7.2.29 New Mexico


      • 7.2.30 New York


      • 7.2.31 North Carolina


      • 7.2.32 North Dakota


      • 7.2.33 Ohio


      • 7.2.34 Oklahoma


      • 7.2.35 Oregon


      • 7.2.36 Pennsylvania


      • 7.2.37 Rhode Island


      • 7.2.38 South Carolina


      • 7.2.39 South Dakota


      • 7.2.40 Tennessee


      • 7.2.41 Texas


      • 7.2.42 Utah


      • 7.2.43 Vermont


      • 7.2.44 Virginia


      • 7.2.45 Washington


      • 7.2.46 West Virginia


      • 7.2.47 Wisconsin


      • 7.2.48 Wyoming


      • 7.2.49 Non-voting members






  • 8 Changes in membership


    • 8.1 Senate


    • 8.2 House of Representatives




  • 9 Committees


    • 9.1 Senate


    • 9.2 House of Representatives


    • 9.3 Joint committees




  • 10 Employees


    • 10.1 Legislative branch agency directors


    • 10.2 Senate


    • 10.3 House of Representatives




  • 11 See also


  • 12 External links





Major events




  • January 3, 1947: Proceedings of Congress were televised for the first time.

  • March 12, 1947: In a Joint Session of Congress, President Truman proclaimed the Truman Doctrine.

  • July 18, 1947: The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands entered into a trusteeship with the United Nations and administered by the United States.

  • July 20, 1947: President Truman issued the second peacetime military draft in the United States amid increasing tensions with the Soviet Union.

  • November 24, 1947: The House of Representatives approved citations of contempt of Congress against the so-called Hollywood 10.

  • July 26, 1948: President Truman signed Executive Order 9981, ending racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces.

  • August 25, 1948: House Un-American Activities Committee held the first-ever televised congressional hearing: "Confrontation Day" between Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss.

  • November 2, 1948: United States general elections, 1948:


    • Presidential election: Harry Truman defeated Thomas Dewey, Henry A. Wallace, and Strom Thurmond;

    • Democrats regained control of the Senate and the House of Representatives





Major legislation




  • May 22, 1947: Assistance to Greece and Turkey Act (Truman Doctrine), Sess. 1, ch. 81, Pub.L. 80–75, 61 Stat. 103

  • June 23, 1947: Taft–Hartley Act, Sess. 1, ch. 120, Pub.L. 80–101, 61 Stat. 136

  • July 18, 1947: Presidential Succession Act of 1947, Sess. 1, ch. 264, Pub.L. 80–199, 61 Stat. 380

  • July 26, 1947: National Security Act of 1947, Sess. 1, ch. 343, Pub.L. 80–253, 61 Stat. 495

  • August 7, 1947: Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands, Sess. 1, ch. 513, Pub.L. 80–382, 61 Stat. 913

  • January 27, 1948: United States Information and Educational Exchange Act, Sess. 2, ch. 36, Pub.L. 80–402, 62 Stat. 6

  • April 3, 1948: Foreign Assistance Act (Marshall Plan), Pub.L. 80–472, Sess. 2, ch. 169, 62 Stat. 137

  • April 3, 1948: Greek-Turkish Assistance Act of 1948 (Marshall Plan), Sess. 2, ch. 169, Pub.L. 80–472, Title III, 62 Stat. 157

  • May 26, 1948: Civil Air Patrol Act, Sess. 2, ch. 349, Pub.L. 80–557, 62 Stat. 274

  • June 12, 1948: Women's Armed Services Integration Act, Sess. 2, ch. 449, Pub.L. 80–625, 62 Stat. 356

  • June 17, 1948: Reed-Bulwinkle Act, Sess. 2, ch. 491, Pub.L. 80–662, 62 Stat. 472

  • June 25, 1948: Codify and enact into law Title 3 of the United States Code – The President, Sess. 2, ch. 644, Pub.L. 80–771, 62 Stat. 672

  • June 28, 1948: Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act of 1948, Pub.L. 80–806, 62 Stat. 1070

  • June 30, 1948: Federal Water Pollution Control Act, Sess. 2, ch. 758, Pub.L. 80–845, 62 Stat. 1155

  • July 3, 1948: War Claims Act of 1948, Sess. 2, ch. 826, Pub.L. 80–896, 62 Stat. 1240

  • July 3, 1948: Agricultural Act of 1948, Sess. 2, ch. 827, Pub.L. 80–897, 62 Stat. 1247



Constitutional amendments


  • March 21, 1947: Approved an amendment to the United States Constitution setting a term limit for election and overall time of service to the office of President of the United States, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification
    • Amendment was later ratified on February 27, 1951, becoming the Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution



Party summary





House Chaplain Bernard Braskamp delivering the opening prayer for the 80th Congress, 1947



Senate

































































Party
(shading shows control)
Total
Vacant

Democratic
(D)

Progressive
(P)

Republican
(R)
End of the previous congress

57

1

38
96
0

Begin

45

0

51

96
0
End
Final voting share 7001469000000000000♠46.9% 5000000000000000000♠0.0% 7001531000000000000♠53.1%
Beginning of the next congress

54

0

42
96
0


House of Representatives


From the beginning to the end of this Congress, there was no net change in party power. The Democrats lost one seat, which remained vacant until the next Congress.




































































Affiliation
Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)

Total







Republican

Democratic

American Labor

Progressive
Vacant
End of previous Congress
191
242
1
1
435
0

Begin
248
185
1
0
434
1
End
244
184
2
430
5
Final voting share
56.7%
43.1%
0.2%
0.0%


Beginning of the next Congress
171
263
1
0
435
0


Leadership


Section contents: Senate: Majority (R), Minority (D) • House: Majority (R), Minority (D)



Senate




  • President: Vacant


  • President pro tempore: Arthur Vandenberg (R)



Majority (Republican) leadership




  • Majority leader: Wallace White


  • Majority whip: Kenneth Wherry


  • Conference Chairman: Eugene Millikin


  • Republican Conference Secretary: Milton Young


  • Policy Committee Chairman: Robert A. Taft



Minority (Democratic) leadership




  • Minority leader: Alben Barkley


  • Minority whip: Scott Lucas


  • Caucus Secretary: Brien McMahon



House of Representatives



  • Speaker: Joseph Martin (R)


Majority (Republican) leadership




  • Majority Leader: Charles Halleck


  • Republican Whip: Leslie Arends


  • Republican Conference Chairman: Roy O. Woodruff



Minority (Democratic) leadership




  • Minority Leader: Sam Rayburn


  • Democratic Whip: John McCormack


  • Democratic Caucus Chairman: Aime Forand


  • Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Michael J. Kirwan



Caucuses



  • House Democratic Caucus

  • Senate Democratic Caucus



Members



Senate


Senators are popularly elected statewide every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election, In this Congress, Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1948; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1950; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1952.













Percentage of members from each party by state at the opening of the 80th Congress, ranging from dark blue (most Democratic) to dark red (most Republican).



House of Representatives


The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide at-large, are preceded by an "At-Large," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.


The congressional district numbers are linked to articles describing the district itself. Since the boundaries of the districts have changed often and substantially, the linked article may only describe the district as it exists today, and not as it was at the time of this Congress.











Changes in membership


The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress



Senate


There were 3 deaths, 2 resignations, and one lost mid-term election.





















































State
(class)
Vacator
Reason for change
Successor
Date of successor's
formal installation

Mississippi
(1)

Theodore Bilbo (D)
Died August 21, 1947.
Successor was elected November 17, 1947.

John Stennis (D)
November 17, 1947

Louisiana
(3)

John Holmes Overton (D)
Died May 14, 1948.
Successor was appointed to continue the term.

William C. Feazel (D)
May 18, 1948

South Dakota
(2)

Harlan Bushfield (R)
Died September 27, 1948.
Successor was appointed to finish the term.

Vera Bushfield (R)
October 6, 1948

South Dakota
(2)

Vera Bushfield (R)
Interim appointee resigned December 26, 1948.
Successor was appointed to finish the term.

Karl Earl Mundt (R)
December 31, 1948

Louisiana
(3)

William C. Feazel (D)
Interim appointee retired when successor elected.
Successor was elected December 31, 1948.

Russell B. Long (D)
December 31, 1948

North Carolina
(2)

William Umstead (D)
Interim appointee lost election to finish the term.
Successor was elected December 31, 1948.

Melville Broughton (D)
December 31, 1948


House of Representatives


There were 9 deaths and 7 resignations.
















































































































































































District
Vacator
Reason for change
Successor
Date of successor's
formal installation

Alabama
8th
Vacant

John Sparkman resigned in previous Congress after being elected to the US Senate

Robert E. Jones, Jr. (D)
Seated January 28, 1947

Wisconsin
2nd
Vacant

Robert K. Henry died during previous Congress

Glenn R. Davis (R)
Seated April 22, 1947

Washington
3rd

Fred Norman (R)
Died April 18, 1947

Russell Mack (R)
Seated June 7, 1947

Pennsylvania
8th

Charles Gerlach (R)
Died May 5, 1947

Franklin Lichtenwalter (R)
Seated September 9, 1947

Maryland
3rd

Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr. (D)
Resigned May 16, 1947, after being elected Mayor of Baltimore

Edward Garmatz (D)
Seated July 15, 1947

Michigan
11th

Fred Bradley (R)
Died May 24, 1947

Charles Potter (R)
Seated August 26, 1947

Texas
9th

Joseph J. Mansfield (D)
Died July 12, 1947

Clark W. Thompson (D)
Seated August 23, 1947

Texas
16th

R. Ewing Thomason (D)
Resigned July 31, 1947, after being appointed as a judge of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas

Kenneth M. Regan (D)
Seated August 23, 1947

Massachusetts
9th

Charles Gifford (R)
Died August 23, 1947

Donald Nicholson (R)
Seated November 18, 1947

Indiana
10th

Raymond S. Springer (R)
Died August 28, 1947

Ralph Harvey (R)
Seated November 4, 1947

Ohio
4th

Robert Franklin Jones (R)
Resigned September 2, 1947, to become a member of the Federal Communications Commission

William M. McCulloch (R)
Seated November 4, 1947

New York
14th

Leo Rayfiel (D)
Resigned September 13, 1947, having been appointed a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Abraham Multer (D)
Seated November 4, 1947

Illinois
21st

George E. Howell (R)
Resigned October 5, 1947, after being appointed judge of the US Court of Claims
Vacant until next Congress

Virginia
4th

Patrick Drewry (D)
Died December 21, 1947

Watkins Abbitt (D)
Seated February 17, 1948

New York
24th

Benjamin J. Rabin (D)
Resigned December 31, 1947

Leo Isacson (AL)
Seated February 17, 1948

Kentucky
2nd

Earle Clements (D)
Resigned January 6, 1948, to become Governor of Kentucky

John Whitaker (D)
Seated April 17, 1948

Kentucky
9th

John Robsion (R)
Died February 17, 1948

William Lewis (R)
Seated April 24, 1948

Missouri
10th

Orville Zimmerman (D)
Died April 7, 1948

Paul Jones (D)
Seated November 2, 1948

Virginia
6th

Lindsay Almond (D)
Resigned April 17, 1948, having been elected Attorney General of Virginia

Clarence Burton (D)
Seated November 2, 1948

Illinois
7th

Thomas L. Owens (R)
Died June 7, 1948
Vacant until next Congress

Indiana
6th

Noble J. Johnson (R)
Resigned July 1, 1948, after being appointed as judge of US Court of Customs & Patent Appeals
Vacant until next Congress

Texas
15th

Milton H. West (D)
Died October 28, 1948

Lloyd Bentsen (D)
Seated December 4, 1948

New York
7th

John Delaney (D)
Died November 18, 1948
Vacant until next Congress

South Dakota
1st

Karl E. Mundt (R)
Resigned December 30, 1948, after being appointed to the U.S. Senate
Vacant until next Congress


Committees


Lists of committees and their party leaders, for members (House and Senate) of the committees and their assignments, go into the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of the article and click on the link (4 links), in the directory after the pages of terms of service, you will see the committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and after the committee pages, you will see the House/Senate committee assignments in the directory, on the committees section of the House and Senate in the Official Congressional Directory, the committee's members on the first row on the left side shows the chairman of the committee and on the right side shows the ranking member of the committee.



Senate



  • Agriculture and Forestry

  • Appropriations

  • Banking and Currency

  • District of Columbia

  • Expenditures in Executive Departments

  • Finance

  • Foreign Relations

  • Interior and Insular Affairs

  • Interstate Commerce


  • Investigate the National Defense Program (Special)

  • Judiciary

  • Labor and Public Welfare


  • Petroleum Resources (Special)

  • Post Office and Civil Service

  • Public Lands

  • Public Works


  • Remodeling the Senate Chamber (Special)


  • Small Business Enterprises (Special)

  • Whole



House of Representatives



  • Agriculture

  • Appropriations

  • Banking and Currency

  • District of Columbia

  • Education and Labor

  • Expenditures in the Executive Departments

  • Foreign Affairs

  • House Administration

  • Merchant Marine and Fisheries

  • Post Office and Civil Service

  • Public Lands

  • Public Works

  • Rules


  • Small Business (Select)

  • Standards of Official Conduct

  • Un-American Activities

  • Veterans' Affairs

  • Ways and Means

  • Whole



Joint committees



  • Atomic Energy


  • Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)

  • Economic

  • Disposition of Executive Papers

  • Foreign Economic Cooperation

  • Housing

  • Labor Management Relations

  • Legislative Budget

  • The Library

  • To Study Pacific Islands

  • Printing

  • Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures

  • Selective Service Deferments

  • Taxation



Employees



Legislative branch agency directors




  • Architect of the Capitol: David Lynn


  • Attending Physician of the United States Congress: George Calver


  • Comptroller General of the United States: Lindsay C. Warren


  • Librarian of Congress: Luther H. Evans


  • Public Printer of the United States: Augustus E. Giegengack (until 1948), John J. Deviny (starting 1948)



Senate




  • Chaplain: Peter Marshall


  • Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins


  • Secretary: Carl A. Loeffler


  • Sergeant at Arms: Edward F. McGinnis



House of Representatives




  • Chaplain: James Shera Montgomery (Methodist)


  • Clerk: John Andrews


  • Doorkeeper: M. L. Meletio


  • Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler


  • Postmaster: Frank W. Collier


  • Reading Clerks: N/A (R) and N/A (D)


  • Sergeant at Arms: William F. Russell



See also




  • United States elections, 1946 (elections leading to this Congress)

    • United States Senate elections, 1946

    • United States House of Representatives elections, 1946




  • United States elections, 1948 (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)

    • United States presidential election, 1948

    • United States Senate elections, 1948

    • United States House of Representatives elections, 1948





External links




  • House of Representatives Session Calendar for the 80th Congress (PDF)..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  • Official Congressional Directory for the 80th Congress, 1st Session.


  • Official Congressional Directory for the 80th Congress, 1st Session (Revision).


  • Official Congressional Directory for the 80th Congress, 2nd Session.


  • Official Congressional Directory for the 80th Congress, 2nd Session (Revision).






  1. ^ https://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/80res.pdf









Popular posts from this blog

Florida Star v. B. J. F.

Danny Elfman

Lugert, Oklahoma