65th United States Congress
65th United States Congress | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Sixty-fifth 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 March 4, 1917 to March 4, 1919, during the fourth and fifth years of Woodrow Wilson's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Thirteenth Census of the United States in 1910. The Senate had a Democratic majority, and the House had a Republican plurality but the Democrats remained in control with the support of the Progressives and Socialist Representative Meyer London.
Major events
- March 4, 1917: Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman member of the United States House of Representatives.
- March 8, 1917: The United States Senate adopted the cloture rule to limit filibusters.
- March 31, 1917: The United States took possession of the Danish West Indies, which become the US Virgin Islands, after paying $25 million to Denmark.
- April 2, 1917: World War I: President Woodrow Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war on Germany.
- April 10, 1917: An ammunition factory explosion in Chester, Pennsylvania kills 133.
- May 21, 1917: Over 300 acres (73 blocks) are destroyed in the Great Atlanta fire of 1917.
- May 26, 1917: A tornado strikes Mattoon, Illinois, causing devastation and killing 101 people.
- July 1, 1917: A labor dispute ignited a race riot in East St. Louis, Illinois, which left 250 dead.
- July 12, 1917: The Phelps Dodge Corporation deported over 1,000 suspected Industrial Workers of the World members from Bisbee, Arizona.
- July 28, 1917: The Silent Protest was organized by the NAACP in New York to protest the East St. Louis Riot of July 2, as well as lynchings in Texas and Tennessee.
- August, 1917: The Green Corn Rebellion, an uprising by several hundred farmers against the World War I draft, took place in central Oklahoma.
- November 24, 1917: In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 9 members of the Milwaukee Police Department were killed by a bomb, the most fatal single event in U.S. police history until the September 11, 2001 attacks.
- December 26, 1917: President Woodrow Wilson used the Federal Possession and Control Act to place most U.S. railroads under the United States Railroad Administration, hoping to more efficiently transport troops and materials for the war effort.
- January 8, 1918: Woodrow Wilson delivered his Fourteen Points speech.
- March 4, 1918: A soldier at Camp Fuston, Kansas fell sick with the first confirmed case of the Spanish flu.
- May 15, 1918: The United States Post Office Department (later renamed the United States Postal Service) began the first regular airmail service in the world (between New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC).
- October 8, 1918: World War I: In the Argonne Forest in France, U.S. Corporal Alvin C. York almost single-handedly killed 25 German soldiers and captures 132.
- December 4, 1918: U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sailed for the Paris Peace Conference, becoming the first U.S. president to travel to Europe while in office.
- January 6, 1919: Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, died.
- January 15, 1919: The Boston Molasses Disaster: A wave of molasses released from an exploding storage tank sweeps through Boston, killing 21 and injuring 150.
- January 16, 1919: The 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution, authorizing Prohibition, went into effect in the United States.
- February 25, 1919: Oregon placed a 1 cent per U.S. gallon (.26¢/L) tax on gasoline, becoming the first U.S. state to levy a gasoline tax.
Major legislation
- April 6, 1917: Declaration of war against Germany, Sess. 1 ch. 1, 40 Stat. 1
- April 24, 1917: First Liberty Bond Act, Sess. 1, ch. 4, 40 Stat. 35
- May 12, 1917: Enemy Vessel Confiscation Joint Resolution, Pub.L. 65–2, 40 Stat. 75
- May 12, 1917: First Army Appropriations Act of 1917, 40 Stat. 69
- May 18, 1917: Selective Service Act of 1917, Sess. 1, ch. 15, 40 Stat. 76
- May 29, 1917: Esch Car Service Act of 1917, Sess. 1, ch. 23, 40 Stat. 101
- June 15, 1917: Emergency Shipping Fund Act of 1917, c. 29, 40 Stat. 182
- June 15, 1917: Second Army Appropriations Act of 1917, 40 Stat. 188
- June 15, 1917: Espionage Act of 1917, Sess. 1, ch. 30, 40 Stat. 217 (incl. title XI: Search Warrant Act of 1917)
- August 8, 1917: River and Harbor Act of 1917, Sess. 1, ch. 49, 40 Stat. 250
- August 10, 1917: Priority of Shipments Act of 1917 (Obstruction of Interstate Commerce Act of 1917), Sess. 1, ch. 51, 40 Stat. 272
- August 10, 1917: Food and Fuel Control Act (Lever Act), Sess. 1, ch. 53, 40 Stat. 27
- October 1, 1917: Second Liberty Bond Act, Sess. 1, ch. 56, 40 Stat. 288
- October 1, 1917: Aircraft Board Act of 1917, Sess. 1, ch. 61, 40 Stat. 296
- October 3, 1917: War Revenue Act of 1917, Sess. 1, ch. 63, 40 Stat. 300
- October 5, 1917: Repatriation Act of 1917, Sess. 1, ch. 68, 40 Stat. 340
- October 6, 1917: Explosives Act of 1917, Sess. 1, ch. 83, 40 Stat. 385
- October 6, 1917: War Risk Insurance Act of 1917, Sess. 1, ch. 105, 40 Stat. 398
- October 6, 1917: International Emergency Economic Powers Act (Trading with the Enemy Act), Sess. 1, ch. 106, 40 Stat. 411
- December 7, 1917: Declaration of war against Austria-Hungary, Sess. 2, ch. 1, 40 Stat. 429
- February 24, 1918: Revenue Act of 1918, Sess. 2, ch. 18, 40 Stat. 1057
- March 8, 1918: Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act, Sess. 2, ch. 20, 40 Stat. 440
- March 19, 1918: Standard Time Act of 1918 (Calder Act), Sess. 2, ch. 24, 40 Stat. 450
- March 21, 1918: Federal Control Act of 1918, Sess. 2, ch. 25, 40 Stat. 451
- April 4, 1918: Third Liberty Bond Act, Sess. 2, ch. 44, 40 Stat. 502
- April 5, 1918: War Finance Corporation Act, Sess. 2, ch. 45, 40 Stat. 506
- April 10, 1918: Webb-Pomerene Act, Sess. 2, ch. 50, 40 Stat. 516
- April 18, 1918: American Forces Abroad Indemnity Act, Sess. 2, ch. 57, 40 Stat. 532
- April 20, 1918: Destruction of War Materials Act, Sess. 2, ch. 59, 40 Stat. 533
- April 23, 1918: Pittman Act, Sess. 2, ch. 63, 40 Stat. 535
- May 9, 1918: Alien Naturalization Act, Sess. 2, ch. 69, 40 Stat. 542
- May 16, 1918: Housing Act, Sess. 2, ch. 74, 40 Stat. 550
- May 16, 1918: Sedition Act of 1918, Sess. 2, ch. 75, 40 Stat. 553
- May 20, 1918: Departmental Reorganization Act (Overman Act), Sess. 2, ch. 78, 40 Stat. 556
- May 22, 1918: Passport Control Act (Entry and Departure Controls Act), Sess. 2, ch. 81, 40 Stat. 559
- May 31, 1918: Saulsbury Resolution, Sess. 2, ch. 90, 40 Stat. 593
- June 27, 1918: Veterans Rehabilitation Act (Smith-Sears Act), Sess. 2, ch. 107, 40 Stat. 617
- July 3, 1918: Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, Sess. 2, ch. 128, 40 Stat. 755
- July 9, 1918: Fourth Liberty Bond Act, Sess. 2, ch. 142, 40 Stat. 844
- July 9, 1918: Army Appropriations Act of 1918, Sess. 2, ch. 143, 40 Stat. 845 (incl. ch. 15: Public Health and Research Act of 1918 (Chamberlain-Kahn Act))
- July 18, 1918: River and Harbor Act of 1918, Sess. 2, ch. 155, 40 Stat. 904
- July 18, 1918: Charter Rate and Requisition Act of 1918, Sess. 2, ch. 157, 40 Stat. 913
- October 16, 1918: Immigration Act of 1918 (Dillingham-Hardwick Act), Sess. 2, ch. 186, 40 Stat. 1012
- October 16, 1918: Corrupt Practices Act of 1918 (Gerry Act), Sess. 2, ch. 187, 40 Stat. 1013
- November 7, 1918: National Bank Consolidation Act of 1918, Sess. 2, ch. 209, 40 Stat. 1043
- November 21, 1918: Food Production Stimulation Act (War-Time Prohibition Act), Sess. 2, ch. 212, 40 Stat. 1045
- February 24, 1919: Child Labor Act of 1919, Sess. 3, ch. 18, 40 Stat. 1138
- February 26, 1919: Grand Canyon Park Act of 1919, Sess. 3, ch. 44, 40 Stat. 1178
- February 26, 1919: Acadia National Park Act of 1919, Sess. 3, ch. 45, 40 Stat. 1178
- March 2, 1919: War Risk Insurance Act of 1919 (War Minerals Relief Act of 1919, Dent Act), Sess. 3, ch. 94, 40 Stat. 1272
- March 2, 1919: River and Harbors Act of 1919, Sess. 3, ch. 95, 40 Stat. 1275
- March 3, 1919: Hospitalization Act of 1919, Sess. 3, ch. 98, 40 Stat. 1302
- March 3, 1919: Fifth Liberty Bond Act, Sess. 3, ch. 100, 40 Stat. 1309
- March 4, 1919: Wheat Price Guarantee Act, Sess. 3, ch. 125, 40 Stat. 1348
Party summary
Senate
Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (D) |
Republican (R) | |||
End of the previous congress | 55 | 41 | 96 | 0 |
Begin | 54 | 41 | 95 | 1 |
End | 51 | 45 | 96 | 0 |
Final voting share | 53.1% | 46.9% | ||
Beginning of the next congress | 46 | 49 | 95 | 1 |
House of Representatives
Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Progressive | Socialist | Prohibition | Republican | Farmer Labor | Vacant | ||
End of previous Congress | 230 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 196 | 0 | 435 | 0 |
Begin | 213 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 215 | 0 | 434 | 1 |
End | 211 | 212 | 429 | 6 | ||||
Final voting share | 50.2% | 0.2% | 49.5% | 0.0% | ||||
Beginning of the next Congress | 192 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 240 | 1 | 435 | 0 |
Leadership
Senate
- President: Thomas R. Marshall (D)
- President pro tempore: Willard Saulsbury, Jr. (D)
- Majority Whip: J. Hamilton Lewis (D)
- Minority Whip: Charles Curtis (R)
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Champ Clark (D)
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- Majority Leader: Claude Kitchin
- Majority Whip: vacant
Minority (Republican) leadership
Members
Senate
Because of the 17th Amendment, starting in 1914 U.S. Senators were directly elected instead of by the state legislatures. However, this did not affect the terms of U.S. Senators whose terms had started before that Amendment took effect.
House of Representatives
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
Senate
- replacements: 17
- Democratic: 3 seat net loss
- Republican: 3 seat net gain
- deaths: 10
- resignations: 1
- vacancy: 1
- Total seats with changes: 17
State | Senator | Reason for Vacancy | Successor | Date of Successor's Installation |
---|---|---|---|---|
California (1) |
Vacant | Senator elected to seat. Delayed installation as Senator to finish term as Governor of California. | Hiram Johnson (R) | March 16, 1917 |
Oregon (2) |
Harry Lane (D) | Died May 23, 1917. Successor was appointed. | Charles L. McNary (R) | May 29, 1917 |
Wisconsin (3) |
Paul O. Husting (D) | Died October 21, 1917. Successor was elected. | Irvine Lenroot (R) | April 18, 1918 |
Nevada (3) |
Francis G. Newlands (D) | Died December 24, 1917. Successor was appointed and subsequently elected. | Charles Henderson (D) | January 12, 1918 |
Idaho (3) |
James H. Brady (R) | Died January 13, 1918. Successor appointed and subsequently elected. | John F. Nugent (D) | January 22, 1918 |
New Jersey (2) |
William Hughes (D) | Died January 30, 1918. Successor appointed and subsequently elected. | David Baird Sr. (R) | February 23, 1918 |
Louisiana (3) |
Robert F. Broussard (D) | Died April 12, 1918. Successor was appointed. | Walter Guion (D) | April 22, 1918 |
Missouri (3) |
William J. Stone (D) | Died April 14, 1918. Successor was appointed. | Xenophon P. Wilfley (D) | April 30, 1918 |
South Carolina (2) |
Benjamin Tillman (D) | Died July 3, 1918. Successor was appointed. | Christie Benet (D) | July 6, 1918 |
New Hampshire (3) |
Jacob H. Gallinger (R) | Died August 17, 1918. Successor was appointed. | Irving W. Drew (R) | September 2, 1918 |
Kentucky (2) |
Ollie M. James (D) | Died August 28, 1918. Successor was appointed. | George B. Martin (D) | September 17, 1918 |
Louisiana (3) |
Walter Guion (D) | Successor was elected. | Edward Gay (D) | November 6, 1918 |
Missouri (3) |
Xenophon P. Wilfley (D) | Successor was elected. | Selden P. Spencer (R) | November 6, 1918 |
New Hampshire (3) |
Irving W. Drew (R) | Successor was elected. | George H. Moses (R) | November 6, 1918 |
Oregon (2) |
Charles L. McNary (R) | Successor was elected to finish term. | Frederick W. Mulkey (R) | November 6, 1918 |
South Carolina (2) |
Christie Benet (D) | Successor was elected. | William P. Pollock (D) | November 6, 1918 |
Oregon (2) |
Frederick W. Mulkey (R) | Resigned December 17, 1918 to give successor preferential seniority who was elected to next Congress. Successor was appointed and subsequently elected. | Charles L. McNary (R) | December 18, 1918 |
House of Representatives
- replacements: 23
- Democratic: no net change
- Republican: no net change
- deaths: 15
- resignations: 12
- contested elections: 3
- Total seats with changes: 31
District | Vacator | Reason for Vacancy | Successor | |
---|---|---|---|---|
New York 15th | Vacant | Rep. Michael F. Conry died during previous congress | Thomas F. Smith (D) | April 12, 1917 |
New Hampshire 1st | Cyrus A. Sulloway (R) | Died March 11, 1917 | Sherman E. Burroughs (R) | May 29, 1917 |
Pennsylvania 28th | Orrin D. Bleakley (R) | Resigned April 3, 1917 after being convicted and fined under the Federal Corrupt Practices Act | Earl H. Beshlin (D) | November 6, 1917 |
North Dakota 1st | Henry T. Helgesen (R) | Died April 10, 1917 | John M. Baer (R) | July 20, 1917 |
Massachusetts 6th | Augustus P. Gardner (R) | Resigned May 15, 1917 to join the US Army | Willfred W. Lufkin (R) | November 6, 1917 |
Indiana 6th | Daniel W. Comstock (R) | Died May 19, 1917 | Richard N. Elliott (R) | June 29, 1917 |
Connecticut 4th | Ebenezer J. Hill (R) | Died September 27, 1917 | Schuyler Merritt (R) | November 6, 1917 |
Illinois 4th | Charles Martin (D) | Resigned October 28, 1917 | John W. Rainey (D) | April 2, 1918 |
Michigan 2nd | Mark R. Bacon (R) | Lost contested election December 13, 1917 | Samuel Beakes (D) | December 13, 1917 |
Georgia 4th | William C. Adamson (D) | Resigned December 18, 1917 | William C. Wright (D) | January 6, 1918 |
Ohio 14th | Ellsworth R. Bathrick (D) | Died December 23, 1917 | Martin L. Davey (D) | November 5, 1918 |
New York 7th | John J. Fitzgerald (D) | Resigned December 31, 1917 | John J. Delaney (D) | March 5, 1918 |
New York 8th | Daniel J. Griffin (D) | Resigned December 31, 1917 after being elected Sheriff of Kings County, New York | William E. Cleary (D) | March 5, 1918 |
New York 22nd | Henry Bruckner (D) | Resigned December 31, 1917 | Anthony J. Griffin (D) | March 5, 1918 |
New York 21st | George M. Hulbert (D) | Resigned January 1, 1918 to become Commissioner of Docks and Director of the Port of New York | Jerome F. Donovan (D) | March 5, 1918 |
New Jersey 5th | John H. Capstick (R) | Died March 17, 1918 | William F. Birch (R) | November 5, 1918 |
Virginia 1st | William A. Jones (D) | Died April 17, 1918 | S. Otis Bland (D) | July 2, 1918 |
Wisconsin 11th | Irvine Lenroot (R) | Resigned April 17, 1918 after being elected to the US Senate | Adolphus P. Nelson (R) | November 5, 1918 |
Wisconsin 6th | James H. Davidson (R) | Died August 6, 1918 | Florian Lampert (R) | November 5, 1918 |
Maryland 2nd | Fred Talbott (D) | Died October 5, 1918 | Carville Benson (D) | November 5, 1918 |
Missouri 10th | Jacob E. Meeker (R) | Died October 16, 1918 | Frederick Essen (R) | November 5, 1918 |
Illinois 17th | John Allen Sterling (R) | Died October 17, 1918 | Seat remained vacant until next Congress | |
Virginia 6th | Carter Glass (D) | Resigned December 6, 1918 after being appointed United States Secretary of the Treasury | James P. Woods (D) | February 25, 1919 |
Pennsylvania At-large | John R. K. Scott (R) | Resigned January 5, 1919 | Seat remained vacant until next Congress | |
New York 4th | Harry H. Dale (D) | Resigned January 6, 1919 after being appointed judge of magistrate court | Seat remained vacant until next Congress | |
Alaska Territory | Charles A. Sulzer (D) | Lost contested election January 7, 1919 | James Wickersham (R) | January 7, 1919 |
Pennsylvania 22nd | Edward E. Robbins (R) | Died January 25, 1919 | Seat remained vacant until next Congress | |
Missouri 5th | William P. Borland (D) | Died February 20, 1919 | Seat remained vacant until next Congress | |
North Carolina 10th | Zebulon Weaver (D) | Lost contested election March 1, 1919 | James J. Britt (R) | March 1, 1919 |
Kentucky 8th | Harvey Helm (D) | Died March 3, 1919 | Seat remained vacant until next Congress | |
Texas 12th | James C. Wilson (D) | Resigned March 3, 1919 to become judge of United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas | Seat remained vacant until next Congress |
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
- Additional Accommodations for the Library of Congress (Select)
- Agriculture and Forestry
- Appropriations
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
- Banking and Currency
- Canadian Relations
- Census
- Civil Service and Retrenchment
- Claims
- Coast and Insular Survey
- Coast Defenses
- Commerce
- Conservation of National Resources
- Corporations Organized in the District of Columbia
- Cuban Relations
- Disposition of Useless Papers in the Executive Departments
- District of Columbia
- Education and Labor
- Engrossed Bills
- Enrolled Bills
- Establish a University in the United States (Select)
- Examine the Several Branches in the Civil Service
- Expenditures in the Department of Agriculture
- Expenditures in the Department of Commerce
- Expenditures in the Interior Department
- Expenditures in the Department of Justice
- Expenditures in the Department of Labor
- Expenditures in the Navy Department
- Expenditures in the Post Office Department
- Expenditures in the Treasury Department
- Expenditures in the War Department
- Finance
- Fisheries
- Five Civilized Tribes of Indians
- Foreign Relations
- Forest Reservations and the Protection of Game
- Geological Survey
- Immigration
- Immigration and Naturalization
- Indian Affairs
- Industrial Expositions
- Interoceanic Canals
- Interstate Commerce
- Irrigation and Reclamation
- Judiciary
- Library
- Manufactures
- Military Affairs
- Mines and Mining
- Mississippi River and its Tributaries (Select)
- National Banks
- Naval Affairs
- Pacific Islands and Puerto Rico
- Pacific Railroads
- Patents
- Pensions
- Philippines
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Printing
- Private Land Claims
- Privileges and Elections
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Health and National Quarantine
- Public Lands
- Railroads
- Revision of the Laws
- Revolutionary Claims
- Rules
- Standards, Weights and Measures
- Tariff Regulation (Select)
- Territories
- Transportation and Sale of Meat Products (Select)
- Transportation Routes to the Seaboard
- Trespassers upon Indian Lands (Select)
- Washington Railway and Electrical Company (Select)
- Whole
- Woman Suffrage
House of Representatives
- Accounts
- Agriculture
- Alcoholic Liquor Traffic
- Appropriations
- Banking and Currency
- Census
- Claims
- Coinage, Weights and Measures
- Disposition of Executive Papers
- District of Columbia
- Education
- Election of the President, Vice President and Representatives in Congress
- Elections
- Enrolled Bills
- Expenditures in the Agriculture Department
- Expenditures in the Commerce Department
- Expenditures in the Interior Department
- Expenditures in the Justice Department
- Expenditures in the Labor Department
- Expenditures in the Navy Department
- Expenditures in the Post Office Department
- Expenditures in the State Department
- Expenditures in the Treasury Department
- Expenditures in the War Department
- Expenditures on Public Buildings
- Flood Control
- Foreign Affairs
- Immigration and Naturalization
- Indian Affairs
- Industrial Arts and Expositions
- Insular Affairs
- Interstate and Foreign Commerce
- Invalid Pensions
- Irrigation of Arid Lands
- Labor
- Merchant Marine and Fisheries
- Mileage
- Military Affairs
- Mines and Mining
- Naval Affairs
- Patents
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Lands
- Railways and Canals
- Reform in the Civil Service
- Revision of Laws
- Rivers and Harbors
- Roads
- Rules
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Territories
- War Claims
- Water Power (Special)
- Ways and Means
- Woman Suffrage
- Whole
Joint committees
- Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
- Disposition of (Useless) Executive Papers
- Interstate Commerce
- Postal Salaries
- Reclassification of Salaries
Employees
- Architect of the Capitol: Elliott Woods
- Librarian of Congress: Herbert Putnam
- Public Printer of the United States: Cornelius Ford
Senate
- Chaplain: F.J. Prettyman (Methodist)
- Secretary: James M. Baker of South Carolina
- Sergeant at Arms: Charles P. Higgins of Indiana
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Henry N. Couden (Universalist)
- Clerk: South Trimble
- Doorkeeper: Joseph J. Sinnott
- Postmaster: William M. Dunbar
- Clerk at the Speaker’s Table: Bennett C. Clark
- Sergeant at Arms: Robert B. Gordon
See also
- United States elections, 1916 (elections leading to this Congress)
- United States elections, 1918 (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
References
- Gould, Lewis L. (2005). The Most Exclusive Club. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books Group. ISBN 0-465-02778-4.
- Remini, Robert V. (2006). The House. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-06-088434-7.
- U.S. Congress (2005). "Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress". Archived from the original on 1 June 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-01.
- U.S. House of Representatives (2006). "Congressional History". Archived from the original on 1 June 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-01.
- U.S. Senate (2006). "Statistics and Lists". Archived from the original on 1 June 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-01.}
- Official Congressional Directory for the 65th Congress, 1st Session.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 65th Congress, 2nd Session (1st Revision).
- Official Congressional Directory for the 65th Congress, 2nd Session (2nd Revision).
- Official Congressional Directory for the 65th Congress, 2nd Session (3rd Revision).
- Official Congressional Directory for the 65th Congress, 3rd Session.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 65th Congress, 3rd Session (Revision).