80th_United_States_Congress

80th United States Congress

80th United States Congress

1947–1949 U.S. Congress

The 80th 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, 1947, to January 3, 1949, during the third and fourth years of Harry S. Truman's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1940 United States census.

Quick Facts January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949, Members ...

The Republicans won the majority in both chambers, marking the first time since the 71st Congress they held full control of Congress, and the first time since the 72nd Congress they held either of the two chambers. This also ended a 14-year Democratic overall federal government trifecta, dating back to the 73rd Congress. This ties with the 14-year Republican trifecta from 1897 to 1911 as the longest trifectas of Congress and is the last time, as of 2024, a trifecta was achieved that lasted longer a decade.

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 E. Dewey. The 80th Congress passed several significant bills with bipartisan support, most famously the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and the Taft–Hartley Act, but it opposed most of Truman's Fair Deal bills.

Major events

See also: 1947 in the United States, 1948 in the United States, and 1949 in the United States

Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation, 1901-2001

Constitutional amendments

Party summary

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

Senate

More information Party (shading shows control), Total ...

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.

More information Affiliation, Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) ...

Leadership

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

Senate

Majority (Republican) leadership

Minority (Democratic) leadership

House of Representatives

Majority (Republican) leadership

Minority (Democratic) leadership

Caucuses

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 three deaths, two resignations, and one lost mid-term election.

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate
More information State (class), Vacated by ...

House of Representatives

There were nine deaths and seven resignations.

See also: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
More information District, Vacated by ...

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders for members of the House and Senate committees can be found through the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of this article. The directory after the pages of terms of service lists committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and, after that, House/Senate committee assignments. 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

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Employees

Legislative branch agency directors

Senate

House of Representatives

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. President pro tempore Arthur Vandenberg acted his duties as the President of the Senate.
  2. When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

Citations

  1. [1]
    "Résumé of Congressional Activity Eightieth Congress" (PDF). United States Senate.
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