Early years

Rainey attended the public schools and Knox Academy and Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. He transferred to, and graduated from Amherst College in 1883 and then the Northwestern University School of Law, in Chicago which he graduated in 1885. He was admitted to the bar in 1885 and commenced practice in Carrollton, Illinois.

Political career

Rainey was appointed master in chancery for Greene County, Illinois, from 1887 until 1895, when he resigned, and returned to private practice. He then decided to return to politics in 1902 getting elected to Congress and serving for nine terms before losing to Guy L. Shaw in 1920.^[1] Two years later, he won back his seat and served until his death. The 1903 Congressional Directory notes that Rainey "belongs to the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen, the Mutual Protective League, and the Elks."^[1]

Leadership

Due to the Great Depression, the Republican party lost its majority in a landslide, and, with John Nance Garner elevated to the Speakership, Rainey ran for, and defeated John McDuffie for the Majority leadership. McDuffie remained as Whip.

Speaker of the House

With Speaker Garner having been inaugurated Vice President on March 4, 1933, Rainey, being next in line, was elected Speaker of the House when President Roosevelt called a special session of Congress two days later. Rainey gave the Roosevelt administration carte blanche to do whatever it wanted, allowing almost the entire New Deal to be passed with little or no changes.

More reforms were passed during the regular session starting December. Rainey died of a heart attack the following summer, on the eve of his seventy-fourth birthday, before the new Congress could meet.