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The 79th 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, 1945, to January 3, 1947, during the last months of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, and the first two years of Harry Truman's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1940 United States census.
| 79th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
78th ← → 80th | |
 United States Capitol (1956) | |
January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Members | 96 senators 435 representatives 4 non-voting delegates |
| Senate majority | Democratic |
| Senate President | Henry A. Wallace (D)[a] (until January 20, 1945) Harry S. Truman (D)[b] (Jan 20–Apr 12, 1945) Vacant (from April 12, 1945) |
| House majority | Democratic |
| House Speaker | Sam Rayburn (D) |
| Sessions | |
| 1st: January 3, 1945 – December 21, 1945 2nd: January 14, 1946 – August 2, 1946 | |
Both chambers had a Democratic majority (including increasing their edge in the House). With the reelection of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to a record fourth term, the Democrats maintained an overall federal government trifecta.[1]
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- January 20, 1945: President Franklin D. Roosevelt began his fourth term.
- April 12, 1945: President Roosevelt died, Vice President Harry S. Truman became President of the United States.
- September 2, 1945: World War II ended.
- September 11, 1945 – June 20, 1946: Joint Committee on the Investigation of the Pearl Harbor Attack conducted its investigation and issued a report.[2]
- November 6, 1946: 1946 United States Senate elections, 1946 United States House of Representatives elections: Republicans gained control of both houses.
- January 3, 1947: Proceedings of the U.S. Congress were televised for the first time.
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- March 9, 1945: McCarran-Ferguson Act
- July 31, 1945: Bretton Woods Agreements Act, Pub. L. 79–171
- July 31, 1945: Export-Import Bank Act of 1945
- December 20, 1945: United Nations Participation Act, Pub. L. 79–264, S. 1580, 59 Stat. 619, enacted December 20, 1945
- December 28, 1945: War Brides Act
- February 18, 1946: Rescission Act of 1946, Pub. L. 79–391
- February 20, 1946: Employment Act, Pub. L. 79–304, ch. 33, 60 Stat. 23
- May 13, 1946: Federal Airport Act of 1946, Pub. L. 79–377
- June 4, 1946: Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, ch. 281, 60 Stat. 230
- June 11, 1946: Administrative Procedure Act, ch. 324, Pub. L. 79–404, 60 Stat. 237
- July 2, 1946: Luce–Celler Act of 1946, Pub. L. 79–483
- July 3, 1946: Hobbs Anti-Racketeering Act, ch. 537, Pub. L. 79–486, 60 Stat. 420
- July 5, 1946: Lanham Trademark Act of 1946, Pub. L. 79–489
- August 1, 1946: United States Atomic Energy Act of 1946, ch. 724, Pub. L. 79–585, 60 Stat. 755
- August 2, 1946: Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, Pub. L. 79–601, including Title III: Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946, Title IV: Federal Tort Claims Act, and Title V: General Bridge Act
- August 13, 1946: Foreign Service Act, ch. 957, titles I–X, 60 Stat. 999
- August 13, 1946: Hospital Survey and Construction Act (Hill-Burton Act), Pub. L. 79–725, ch. 958, 60 Stat. 1040
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- July 28, 1945: Senate ratified the Charter of the United Nations by a vote of 89–2.[3][4]
- July 4, 1946: Senate ratified the Treaty of Manila, which gave independence to the Philippines.
Senate
| Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (D) |
Progressive (P) | Republican (R) | |||
| End of previous congress | #B0CEFF"}]]}"> 56 | 1 | 39 | 96 | 0 |
| Begin | #B0CEFF"}]]}"> 57 | 1 | 38 | 96 | 0 |
| End | #B0CEFF"}]]}"> 53 | 42 | |||
| Final voting share | #B0CEFF"}]]}" class="notheme"> 55.2% | 1.0% | 43.8% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 45 | 0 | #FFB6B6"}]]}"> 51 | 96 | 0 |
House of Representatives
| Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (D) |
Farmer– Labor (FL) | American Labor (AL) | Progressive (P) | Republican (R) | |||
| End of previous congress | #B0CEFF"}]]}"> 212 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 210 | 426 | 9 |
| Begin | #B0CEFF"}]]}"> 242 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 190 | 434 | 1 |
| End | #B0CEFF"}]]}"> 236 | 191 | 429 | 6 | |||
| Final voting share | #B0CEFF"}]]}" class="notheme"> 55.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 44.5% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 187 | 0 | 1 | 0 | #FFB6B6"}]]}"> 245 | 433 | 2 |
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Senate
- President:
- Henry A. Wallace (D), until January 20, 1945
- Harry S. Truman (D), January 20, 1945 – April 12, 1945; thereafter vacant
- President Pro Tempore: Kenneth McKellar (D)
- Majority leader: Alben W. Barkley (D)
- Minority leader: Wallace H. White Jr. (R, acting)
- Majority whip: J. Lister Hill (D)
- Minority whip: Kenneth S. Wherry (R), elected 1944
House of Representatives
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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 ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1946; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1948; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1950.
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
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The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.
Senate
| State (class) |
Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[d] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington (1) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Monrad Wallgren (D) | Resigned January 9, 1945, after being elected Governor of Washington. Successor was appointed to serve until the next election. |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Hugh Mitchell (D) | January 10, 1945 |
| Connecticut (1) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Francis T. Maloney (D) | Died January 16, 1945. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election. |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Thomas C. Hart (R) | February 15, 1945 |
| Missouri (1) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Harry S. Truman (D) | Resigned January 17, 1945, after being elected Vice President of the United States. Successor was appointed to serve until the next election. |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Frank P. Briggs (D) | January 18, 1945 |
| North Dakota (3) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">John Moses (D) | Died March 3, 1945. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election, which he subsequently won. |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Milton Young (R) | March 12, 1945 |
| Nevada (1) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">James G. Scrugham (D) | Died June 23, 1945. Successor was appointed to serve until the next election. |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Edward P. Carville (D) | July 25, 1945 |
| California (1) |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Hiram Johnson (R) | Died August 6, 1945. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election, which he subsequently won. |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">William F. Knowland (R) | August 26, 1945 |
| Ohio (1) |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Harold H. Burton (R) | Resigned September 30, 1945, after being appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election. |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">James W. Huffman (D) | October 8, 1945 |
| Kentucky (2) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Happy Chandler (D) | Resigned November 1, 1945, after becoming Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election. |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">William A. Stanfill (R) | November 19, 1945 |
| Idaho (2) |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">John Thomas (R) | Died November 10, 1945. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election, which he subsequently lost. |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Charles C. Gossett (D) | November 17, 1945 |
| Virginia (2) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Carter Glass (D) | Died May 28, 1946. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election. |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Thomas G. Burch (D) | May 31, 1946 |
| Alabama (2) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">John H. Bankhead II (D) | Died June 12, 1946. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election. |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">George R. Swift (D) | June 15, 1946 |
| Vermont (1) |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Warren Austin (R) | Resigned August 2, 1946, after being appointed United States representative on the United Nations Security Council. Successor was appointed to serve until the next election. |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Ralph Flanders (R) | November 1, 1946 |
| Florida (1) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Charles O. Andrews (D) | Died September 18, 1946. Successor was elected to finish term. |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Spessard Holland (D) | September 25, 1946 |
| Alabama (2) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">George R. Swift (D) | Resigned November 5, 1946. Successor was elected to finish term. |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">John Sparkman (D) | November 6, 1946 |
| Connecticut (1) |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Thomas C. Hart (R) | Resigned November 5, 1946. Successor was elected to finish term. |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Raymond E. Baldwin (R) | December 27, 1946 |
| Kentucky (2) |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">William A. Stanfill (R) | Resigned November 5, 1946. Successor was elected to finish term | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">John S. Cooper (R) | November 6, 1946 |
| Ohio (1) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">James W. Huffman (D) | Resigned November 5, 1946. Successor was elected to finish term. | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Kingsley A. Taft (R) | November 6, 1946 |
| Virginia (2) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Thomas G. Burch (D) | Resigned November 5, 1946. Successor was elected to finish term. |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Absalom W. Robertson (D) | November 6, 1946 |
| Idaho (2) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Charles C. Gossett (D) | Resigned November 6, 1946. Successor was elected to finish term. |
style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Henry Dworshak (R) | November 6, 1946 |
| North Carolina (2) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Josiah Bailey (D) | Died December 15, 1946. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election, which he subsequently lost. |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">William B. Umstead (D) | December 18, 1946 |
| Washington (1) |
style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Hugh Mitchell (D) | Resigned December 25, 1946. Successor was appointed to finish the term already having to be elected the next term. | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Harry P. Cain (R) | December 26, 1946 |
House of Representatives
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[d] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island 2nd | Vacant | John E. Fogarty resigned during the previous Congress. | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">John E. Fogarty (D) | February 7, 1945 |
| Montana 2nd | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">James F. O'Connor (D) | Died January 15, 1945 | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Wesley A. D'Ewart (R) | June 5, 1945 |
| Virginia 3rd | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Dave E. Satterfield Jr. (D) | Resigned February 15, 1945, to become general counsel and executive director of the Life Insurance Association of America | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">J. Vaughan Gary (D) | March 6, 1945 |
| Illinois 24th | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">James V. Heidinger (R) | Died March 22, 1945 | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Roy Clippinger (R) | November 6, 1945 |
| New Mexico at-large | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Clinton P. Anderson (D) | Resigned June 30, 1945, after being appointed Secretary of Agriculture | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| New Jersey 4th | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">D. Lane Powers (R) | Resigned August 30, 1945, to become a member of the Public Utilities Commission of New Jersey | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Frank A. Mathews Jr. (R) | November 6, 1945 |
| Oregon 1st | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">James W. Mott (R) | Died November 12, 1945 | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">A. Walter Norblad (R) | January 18, 1946 |
| North Carolina 10th | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Joseph W. Ervin (D) | Died December 25, 1945 | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Sam Ervin (D) | January 22, 1946 |
| New York 19th | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Samuel Dickstein (D) | Resigned December 30, 1945 | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Arthur G. Klein (D) | February 19, 1946 |
| Virginia 6th | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Clifton A. Woodrum (D) | Resigned December 31, 1945, to become president of the American Plant Food Council, Inc. | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">J. Lindsay Almond (D) | January 22, 1946 |
| Georgia 5th | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Robert Ramspeck (D) | Resigned December 31, 1945, to become executive vice-president of the Air Transport Association | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Helen D. Mankin (D) | February 12, 1946 |
| Pennsylvania 33rd | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Samuel A. Weiss (D) | Resigned January 7, 1946, after being elected judge of Common Pleas in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Frank Buchanan (D) | May 21, 1946 |
| Pennsylvania 23rd | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">J. Buell Snyder (D) | Died February 24, 1946 | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Carl H. Hoffman (R) | May 21, 1946 |
| North Carolina 8th | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">William O. Burgin (D) | Died April 11, 1946 | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Eliza Jane Pratt (D) | May 25, 1946 |
| Virginia 5th | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Thomas G. Burch (D) | Resigned May 31, 1946, after being appointed to the U.S. Senate | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Thomas B. Stanley (D) | November 5, 1946 |
| Texas 6th | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Luther A. Johnson (D) | Resigned July 17, 1946, after becoming judge of the United States Tax Court | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Olin E. Teague (D) | August 24, 1946 |
| Pennsylvania 10th | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">John W. Murphy (D) | Resigned July 17, 1946, to become judge of the US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">James P. Scoblick (R) | November 5, 1946 |
| Minnesota 3rd | style=\"background:#95b0c9\""},{"html":""}]]}">William Gallagher (DFL) | Died August 13, 1946 | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| Puerto Rico at-large | style=\"background-color:#EE6363\""},{"html":""}]]}">Jesús T. Piñero (PPD) | Resigned September 2, 1946, after being appointed Governor of Puerto Rico | style=\"background-color:#EE6363\""},{"html":""}]]}">Antonio Fernós-Isern (PPD) | September 11, 1946 |
| New York 4th | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">William B. Barry (D) | Died October 20, 1946 | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| Alabama 8th | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">John Sparkman (D) | Resigned November 6, 1946, after being elected to the U.S. Senate | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| Idaho 2nd | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Henry Dworshak (R) | Resigned November 5, 1946, after being elected to the U.S. Senate | Vacant | Not filled this term |
| Virginia 7th | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Absalom W. Robertson (D) | Resigned November 5, 1946, after being elected to the U.S. Senate | style=\"color:black;background-color:#B0CEFF\""},{"html":""}]]}">Burr Harrison (D) | November 5, 1946 |
| Wisconsin 2nd | style=\"background-color:#FFB6B6\""},{"html":""}]]}">Robert K. Henry (R) | Died November 20, 1946 | Vacant | Not filled this term |
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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
- Atomic Energy (Chairman: Sen. Brien McMahon)
- Arrange the Inauguration for President-elect (Chairman: Sen. Harry F. Byrd)
- Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
- Disposition of Executive Papers
- Investigation of the Pearl Harbor Attack
- Legislative Budget
- The Library (Chairman: Sen. Alben W. Barkley)
- Organization of Congress (Chairman: Vacant; Vice Chairman: Rep. Mike Monroney)
- Printing (Chairman: Sen. Carl Hayden; Vice Chairman: Rep. Pete Jarman)
- Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures (Chairman: Sen. Harry F. Byrd; Vice Chairman: Rep. Robert L. Doughton)
- Selective Service Deferments
- Taxation (Chairman: Rep. Robert F. Doughton; Vice Chairman: Sen. Walter F. George)
- Democratic (House)
- Democratic (Senate)
Legislative branch agency directors
Senate
- Chaplain: Frederick Brown Harris (Methodist)
- Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins
- Secretary: Edwin A. Halsey, until January 29, 1945
- Leslie Biffle, from February 8, 1945
- Librarian: Ruskin McArdle
- Secretary for the Majority: Leslie Biffle, until February 8, 1945
- Felton McLellan Johnston, from October 1945
- Secretary for the Minority: Carl A. Loeffler
- Sergeant at Arms: Wall Doxey
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: James Shera Montgomery (Methodist)
- Clerk: South Trimble, until November 23, 1946
- Harry Newlin Megill, from November 23, 1946
- Doorkeeper: Ralph R. Roberts
- Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
- Postmaster: Finis E. Scott
- Reading Clerks: George J. Maurer (D) and Alney E. Chaffee (R)
- Sergeant at Arms: Kenneth Romney
- 1944 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
- 1946 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
- U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace's term as President of the Senate ended at noon January 20, 1945, when Harry S. Truman's term began.
- U.S. Vice President Truman's term as President of the Senate ended on April 12, 1945 when he ascended to the presidency. President pro tempore Kenneth McKellar acted his duties as the president of the Senate.
- The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is the Minnesota affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party and are counted as Democrats.
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