84th United States Congress
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The Eighty-fourth 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, D.C. from January 3, 1955 to January 3, 1957, during the third and fourth years of Dwight Eisenhower's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Seventeenth Census of the United States in 1950. Both chambers had a Democratic majority. It is the earliest Congress with a surviving member, former Michigan Representative John Dingell. Members of the first eighty-three Congresses are all deceased.
Major events
- January 28, 1955: Congress authorized the President to use force to protect Taiwan from the People's Republic of China
- February 10, 1955: The United States Navy helped the Republic of China evacuate Chinese Nationalist army and residents from the Tachen Islands to Taiwan.
- February 12, 1955: President Eisenhower sent the first U.S. advisers to South Vietnam.
- September 24, 1955: President Eisenhower suffered a coronary thrombosis.
- November 5, 1955: Racial segregation was forbidden on trains and buses in U.S. interstate commerce.
- December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white person.
- December 5, 1955: The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to become the AFL-CIO.
- March 12, 1956: 96 Congressmen signed the Southern Manifesto, a protest against the 1954 Supreme Court ruling (Brown v. Board of Education) desegregating public education.
- November 6, 1956: United States elections, 1956:
- United States presidential election, 1956: Republican incumbent Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated Democratic challenger Adlai E. Stevenson in a rematch of their contest four years earlier.
- United States Senate elections, 1956: The party balance of the chamber remained unchanged as Republican and Democratic gains cancelled each other.
- United States House of Representatives elections, 1956: Republicans lost a net of two seats to the majority Democrats.
Major legislation
- January 29, 1955: Formosa Resolution
- March 31, 1955: Career Incentive Act
- June 28, 1955: Flood Control and Coastal Emergency Act, Pub.L. 84–99, 69 Stat. 194
- July 11, 1955: To provide that all United States currency shall bear the inscription "In God We Trust", Pub.L. 84–140, 69 Stat. 290, 31 U.S.C. § 5114(b)
- July 14, 1955: Air Pollution Control Act, Pub.L. 84–159, ch. 360, 69 Stat. 322
- July 23, 1955: Multiple Surface Use Mining Act, Pub.L. 94–167, ch. 730, 68 Stat. 708
- August 9, 1955: Reserve Forces Act, Pub.L. 84–305, 69 Stat. 598
- August 11, 1955: National Housing Act ("Capehart Act"), Pub.L. 84–345, 69 Stat. 646
- August 12, 1955: Poliomyelitis Vaccination Assistance Act, Pub.L. 84–377, ch. 863, 69 Stat. 704
- June 29, 1956: Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, (National Interstate and Defense Highways Act), Pub.L. 84–627
- July 30, 1956: Health Research Facilities Act, Pub.L. 84–835, ch. 779, 70 Stat. 717
- August 8, 1956: Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, ch. 1036, 70 Stat. 1119, 16 U.S.C. § 742a
Party summary
The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
| Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (D) |
Independent (I) | Republican (R) | |||
| End of the previous congress | 47 | 1 | 48 | 96 | 0 |
| Begin | 48 | 1 | 47 | 96 | 0 |
| End | 47 | 0 | 49 | ||
| Final voting share | 49.0% | 0.0% | 51.0% | ||
| Beginning of the next congress | 49 | 0 | 46 | 95 | 1 |
House of Representatives
- Democratic: 232 (majority)
- Republican: 203
TOTAL: 435
Leadership
Senate
Senate President
Richard Nixon (R)
Richard Nixon (R)
Senate President pro tempore
Walter F. George (D)
Walter F. George (D)
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- Majority Leader and Democratic Conference chairman: Lyndon B. Johnson
- Majority Whip: Earle C. Clements
Minority (Republican) leadership
- Minority Leader: William F. Knowland
- Minority Whip: Leverett Saltonstall
- Republican Conference chairman: Eugene Millikin
House of Representatives
Speaker of the House
Sam Rayburn (D)
Sam Rayburn (D)
- Speaker: Sam Rayburn (D)
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- Majority Leader: John William McCormack
- Majority Whip: Carl Albert
- Democratic Caucus chairman: John J. Rooney
Minority (Republican) leadership
- Minority Leader: Joseph William Martin, Jr.
- Minority Whip: Leslie C. Arends
- Republican Conference chairman: Clifford R. Hope
Caucuses
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state.
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 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1958; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1960; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1956.
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.
Senate
- Replacements: 3
- Democratic: 1 net loss
- Independent Democratic: 1 net loss
- Republican: 2 net gain
- Deaths: 2
- Resignations: 1
- Interim appointments: 3
- Total seats with changes: 3
| State (class) |
Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon (3) |
Wayne Morse (I) | Changed Political Parties April 30, 1955 | Wayne Morse (D) | April 30, 1955 |
| West Virginia (1) |
Harley M. Kilgore (D) | Died February 28, 1956 | William R. Laird, III (D) | March 13, 1956 |
| South Carolina (2) |
Strom Thurmond (ID) | Resigned April 4, 1956 to trigger a contested primary as promised to voters | Thomas A. Wofford (D) | April 5, 1956 |
| Kentucky (2) |
Alben W. Barkley (D) | Died April 30, 1956 | Robert Humphreys (D) | June 21, 1956 |
| Kentucky (2) |
Robert Humphreys (D) | Successor elected November 6, 1956 | John S. Cooper (R) | November 7, 1956 |
| South Carolina (2) |
Thomas A. Wofford (D) | Successor elected November 6, 1956 | Strom Thurmond (D) | November 7, 1956 |
| West Virginia (1) |
William R. Laird, III (D) | Successor elected November 6, 1956 | W. Chapman Revercomb (R) | November 7, 1956 |
House of Representatives
- Replacements: 5
- Democratic: no net change
- Republican: no net change
- Deaths: 9
- Resignations: 3
- Total seats with changes: 12
| District | Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date successor seated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida 6th | Vacant | Rep. Dwight L. Rogers died during previous congress | Paul Rogers (D) | January 4, 1955 |
| Michigan 15th | John D. Dingell, Sr. (D) | Died September 19, 1955 | John Dingell (D) | December 13, 1955 |
| Pennsylvania 30th | Vera Buchanan (D) | Died November 26, 1955 | Elmer J. Holland (D) | January 24, 1956 |
| New York 22nd | Sidney A. Fine (D) | Resigned January 2, 1956 | James C. Healey (D) | February 7, 1956 |
| Illinois 14th | Chauncey W. Reed (R) | Died February 9, 1956 | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| Pennsylvania 2nd | William T. Granahan (D) | Died May 25, 1956 | Kathryn E. Granahan (D) | November 6, 1956 |
| California 20th | J. Carl Hinshaw (R) | Died August 5, 1956 | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| Tennessee 5th | Percy Priest (D) | Died October 12, 1956 | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| New Mexico At-large | Antonio M. Fernández (D) | Died November 7, 1956 | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| New Jersey 2nd | T. Millet Hand (R) | Died December 26, 1956 | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| New York 19th | Arthur G. Klein (D) | Resigned December 31, 1956 after being elected to the New York Supreme Court | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| New York 20th | Irwin D. Davidson (DL) | Resigned December 31, 1956 | Vacant | Not filled this term |
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
- Agriculture and Forestry
- Appropriations
- Banking and Currency
- Contribution Investigation (Select)
- District of Columbia
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- Foreign Aid Program (Special)
- Government Operations
- Interior and Insular Affairs
- Interstate and Foreign Commerce
- Judiciary
- Labor and Public Welfare
- Political Activities, Lobbying and Campaign Contributions (Special)
- Post Office and Civil Service
- Public Works
- Senate Reception Room (Special)
- Small Business (Select)
- Subcommittee on Internal Security
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Agriculture
- Appropriations
- Banking and Currency
- Benefits for Dependents of Armed Services Veterans (Select)
- Defense Production
- District of Columbia
- Education and Labor
- Foreign Affairs
- House Administration
- Government Operations
- Interior and Insular Affairs
- Merchant Marine and Fisheries
- Post Office and Civil Service
- 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)
- Construction of a Building for a Museum of History and Technology for the Smithsonian
- Defense Production
- Disposition of Executive Papers
- Economic
- Immigration and Nationality Policy
- Legislative Budget
- The Library
- Navajo-Hopi Indian Administration
- Printing
- Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures
- Taxation
Employees and legislative agency directors
Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: J. George Stewart, appointed October 1, 1954
- Attending Physician of the United States Congress: George Calver
- Comptroller General of the United States: Joseph Campbell
- Librarian of Congress: Lawrence Quincy Mumford
- Public Printer of the United States: Raymond Blattenberger
Senate
- Chaplain: Frederick Brown Harris, Methodist
- Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins
- Secretary: Felton McLellan Johnston
- Sergeant at Arms: Joseph C. Duke
House of Representatives
- Clerk: Ralph R. Roberts of Indiana
- Sergeant at Arms: Zeake W. Johnson, Jr. of Tennessee, elected January 5, 1955
- Doorkeeper: William M. Miller of Mississippi, elected January 5, 1955
- Postmaster: H. H. Morris of Kentucky, elected January 5, 1955
- Messenger to the Speaker: Lewis Deschler
- Chaplain: Bernard Braskamp (Presbyterian)
See also
- United States elections, 1954 (elections leading to this Congress)
- United States elections, 1956 (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
References
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
External links
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
- U.S. House of Representatives: Congressional History
- U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
- House of Representatives Session Calendar for the 84th Congress (PDF).
- Official Congressional Directory for the 84th Congress, 1st Session.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 84th Congress, 2nd Session.
- Pocket Congressional Directory for the 84th Congress.
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