80th United States Congress

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The 80th United States Congress was nicknamed the "Do Nothing Congress" by President Harry Truman. The Congress was controled by the Republican party and opposed many of the bills passed during the Franklin Roosevelt administration. They also opposed most of Truman's Fair Deal bills. Yet they passed many of pro-business bills. During the 1948 election Truman campaign as much against the "Do Nothing Congress" as against his formal opponent, Thomas Dewey.

Contents 1 Dates of sessions 2 Major legislation 3 Party summary 3.1 Senate 3.2 House of Representatives 4 Leadership 4.1 Senate 4.2 House of Representatives 5 Members 5.1 Senate 5.2 House of Representatives 6 Employees 6.1 Senate 6.2 House of Representatives 6.3 Trivia

[edit] Dates of sessions

1947-1948

• First session: January 3, 1947 – December 19, 1947.
• Second session: January 6, 1948 – December 31, 1948.

President Harry Truman called Congress into extraordinary session twice, from November 17 to December 19, 1947 and from July 26 to August 7, 1948. In both cases, Congress had completed its business for the year but had not adjourned sine die, and so the extraordinary sessions are considered extensions of the regular sessions.

[edit] Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation

• 1947 - Aid to Greece and Turkey (see Truman Doctrine), Pub.L. 80-75
• 1947 - Presidential Succession Act, 3 U.S.C. § 19
• 1947 June 23 - Taft-Hartley Act, ch. 120, 61 Stat. 136, 29 U.S.C. § 141
• 1947 July 26 - National Security Act, ch. 343, 61 Stat. 495, 50 U.S.C. § 401
• 1947 August 7 - Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands, ch. 513, 61 Stat. 913, 30 U.S.C. § 351
• 1948 January 27 - United States Information and Educational Exchange Act, ch. 36, 62 Stat. 6, 22 U.S.C. § 1431 et seq.
• 1948 April 3 - Foreign Assistance Act (Marshall Plan), Pub.L. 80-47, ch. 169, 62 Stat. 137
• 1948 - Civil Air Patrol Act, (Pub.L. 80-557, 62 Stat. 274, 10 U.S.C. ch. 909)
• 1948 June 30 - Federal Water Pollution Control Act, ch. 758, 33 U.S.C. § 1251

[edit] Party summary

[edit] Senate

• Republican: 51
• Democratic: 45

[edit] House of Representatives

• 246 Republicans
• 188 Democrats
• 1 American-Labor

Total Membership: 435 Representatives, 2 Delegates, 1 Resident Commissioner

[edit] Leadership

[edit] Senate

• President of the Senate: vacant
• President pro tempore:

[edit] House of Representatives

• Speaker of the House: Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R-Massachusetts)
• Majority Leader: Charles A. Halleck (R-Indiana)
• Minority Leader: Sam Rayburn (D-Texas)
• Democratic Whip: John W. McCormack (D-Massachusetts)
• Republican Whip: Leslie C. Arends (R-Illinois)
• Democratic Caucus Chairman: Aime J. Forand (D-Rhode Island)
• Republican Conference Chairman: Roy O. Woodruff (R-Michigan)

[edit] Members

[edit] Senate

[edit] House of Representatives

[edit] Employees

• Architect of the Capitol:

[edit] Senate

[edit] House of Representatives

• Clerk of the House: John Andrews
• Doorkeeper: M. L. Meletio
• Postmaster: Frank Collier
• Sergeant at Arms: William F. Russell
• Chaplain of the House: James Shera Montgomery - Methodist

[edit] Trivia

The "Do Nothing Congress" was actually more active and met on more days than the lamented 109th United States Congress who became infamous for a late Tuesday to early Thursday work week.

List of United States Congresses (and years begun)

1 (1789) • 2 (1791) • 3 (1793) • 4 (1795) • 5 (1797) • 6 (1799) • 7 (1801) • 8 (1803) • 9 (1805) • 10 (1807) 11 (1809) • 12 (1811) • 13 (1813) • 14 (1815) • 15 (1817) • 16 (1819) • 17 (1821) • 18 (1823) • 19 (1825) • 20 (1827) 21 (1829) • 22 (1831) • 23 (1833) • 24 (1835) • 25 (1837) • 26 (1839) • 27 (1841) • 28 (1843) • 29 (1845) • 30 (1847) 31 (1849) • 32 (1851) • 33 (1853) • 34 (1855) • 35 (1857) • 36 (1859) • 37 (1861) • 38 (1863) • 39 (1865) • 40 (1867) 41 (1869) • 42 (1871) • 43 (1873) • 44 (1875) • 45 (1877) • 46 (1879) • 47 (1881) • 48 (1883) • 49 (1885) • 50 (1887) 51 (1889) • 52 (1891) • 53 (1893) • 54 (1895) • 55 (1897) • 56 (1899) • 57 (1901) • 58 (1903) • 59 (1905) • 60 (1907) 61 (1909) • 62 (1911) • 63 (1913) • 64 (1915) • 65 (1917) • 66 (1919) • 67 (1921) • 68 (1923) • 69 (1925) • 70 (1927) 71 (1929) • 72 (1931) • 73 (1933) • 74 (1935) • 75 (1937) • 76 (1939) • 77 (1941) • 78 (1943) • 79 (1945) • 80 (1947) 81 (1949) • 82 (1951) • 83 (1953) • 84 (1955) • 85 (1957) • 86 (1959) • 87 (1961) • 88 (1963) • 89 (1965) • 90 (1967) 91 (1969) • 92 (1971) • 93 (1973) • 94 (1975) • 95 (1977) • 96 (1979) • 97 (1981) • 98 (1983) • 99 (1985) • 100 (1987) 101 (1989) • 102 (1991) • 103 (1993) • 104 (1995) • 105 (1997) • 106 (1999) • 107 (2001) • 108 (2003) • 109 (2005) • 110 (2007) 111 (2009) • 112 (2011) • 113 (2013)