86th_Congress

86th United States Congress

86th United States Congress

1959–1961 U.S. Congress


The 86th 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, 1959, to January 3, 1961, during the last two years of the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Quick Facts January 3, 1959 (1959-01-03) – January 3, 1961 (1961-01-03), Members ...

The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1950 United States census until Alaska and Hawaii were admitted as states in 1959. Then, the membership of the House temporarily increased to 437 (seating one member from each of those newly admitted states and leaving the apportionment of the other 435 seats unchanged); it would remain at 437 until reapportionment resulting from the 1960 census.

The Democrats maintained full control of Congress, with greatly increased majorities in both chambers.

Major events

Major legislation

Constitutional amendments

The official Joint Resolution of Congress proposing what became the 23rd Amendment as contained in the National Archives

Treaties

Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan

States admitted

  • January 3, 1959: Alaska was admitted as the 49th state
  • August 21, 1959: Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state

Party summary

Senate

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

House of Representatives

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

Total members: 437. The increase over the usual 435 members was due to the admission of Alaska and Hawaii, whose seats were temporary until reapportionment following the 1960 Census.

Leadership

Senate President
Senate President pro tempore
House Speaker

Senate

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Minority (Republican) leadership

House of Representatives

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Minority (Republican) 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 1960; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1962; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1964.

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

More information House seats by party holding plurality in state ...

Changes in membership

Senate

More information State (class), Vacated by ...

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

Notes

  1. When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

Specific citations
  1. "Nation Honor Lincoln On Sesquicentennial" (PDF). Yonkers Herald-Statesman. Northern Illinois University Libraries. Associated Press. February 11, 1959. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 1, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013. Congress gets into the act tomorrow, when a joint session will be held. Carl Sandburg, famed Lincoln biographer, will give and address, and actor Fredric March will read the Gettysburg Address.
General references

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