81st United States Congress
81st United States Congress | |
---|---|
80th ← → 82nd | |
United States Capitol (1956) | |
January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951 | |
Senate President | Vacant until January 20, 1949 Alben W. Barkley (D) from January 20, 1949 |
Senate Pres. pro tem | Kenneth McKellar (D) |
House Speaker | Sam Rayburn (D) |
Members | 96 senators 435 representatives 4 non-voting delegates |
Senate Majority | Democratic |
House Majority | Democratic |
Sessions | |
1st: January 3, 1949 – October 19, 1949 2nd: January 3, 1950 – January 2, 1951 |
The Eighty-first 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, 1949, to January 3, 1951, during the fifth and sixth years of Harry S. Truman's presidency.
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Sixteenth Census of the United States in 1940. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
Contents
1 Major events
2 Major legislation
3 Treaties
4 Hearings
5 Party summary
5.1 Senate
5.2 House of Representatives
6 Leadership
6.1 Senate
6.1.1 Majority (Democratic) leadership
6.1.2 Minority (Republican) leadership
6.2 House of Representatives
6.2.1 Majority (Democratic) leadership
6.2.2 Minority (Republican) leadership
7 Caucuses
8 Members
8.1 Senate
8.1.1 Alabama
8.1.2 Arizona
8.1.3 Arkansas
8.1.4 California
8.1.5 Colorado
8.1.6 Connecticut
8.1.7 Delaware
8.1.8 Florida
8.1.9 Georgia
8.1.10 Idaho
8.1.11 Illinois
8.1.12 Indiana
8.1.13 Iowa
8.1.14 Kansas
8.1.15 Kentucky
8.1.16 Louisiana
8.1.17 Maine
8.1.18 Maryland
8.1.19 Massachusetts
8.1.20 Michigan
8.1.21 Minnesota
8.1.22 Mississippi
8.1.23 Missouri
8.1.24 Montana
8.1.25 Nebraska
8.1.26 Nevada
8.1.27 New Hampshire
8.1.28 New Jersey
8.1.29 New Mexico
8.1.30 New York
8.1.31 North Carolina
8.1.32 North Dakota
8.1.33 Ohio
8.1.34 Oklahoma
8.1.35 Oregon
8.1.36 Pennsylvania
8.1.37 Rhode Island
8.1.38 South Carolina
8.1.39 South Dakota
8.1.40 Tennessee
8.1.41 Texas
8.1.42 Utah
8.1.43 Vermont
8.1.44 Virginia
8.1.45 Washington
8.1.46 West Virginia
8.1.47 Wisconsin
8.1.48 Wyoming
8.2 House of Representatives
8.2.1 Alabama
8.2.2 Arizona
8.2.3 Arkansas
8.2.4 California
8.2.5 Colorado
8.2.6 Connecticut
8.2.7 Delaware
8.2.8 Florida
8.2.9 Georgia
8.2.10 Idaho
8.2.11 Illinois
8.2.12 Indiana
8.2.13 Iowa
8.2.14 Kansas
8.2.15 Kentucky
8.2.16 Louisiana
8.2.17 Maine
8.2.18 Maryland
8.2.19 Massachusetts
8.2.20 Michigan
8.2.21 Minnesota
8.2.22 Mississippi
8.2.23 Missouri
8.2.24 Montana
8.2.25 Nebraska
8.2.26 Nevada
8.2.27 New Hampshire
8.2.28 New Jersey
8.2.29 New Mexico
8.2.30 New York
8.2.31 North Carolina
8.2.32 North Dakota
8.2.33 Ohio
8.2.34 Oklahoma
8.2.35 Oregon
8.2.36 Pennsylvania
8.2.37 Rhode Island
8.2.38 South Carolina
8.2.39 South Dakota
8.2.40 Tennessee
8.2.41 Texas
8.2.42 Utah
8.2.43 Vermont
8.2.44 Virginia
8.2.45 Washington
8.2.46 West Virginia
8.2.47 Wisconsin
8.2.48 Wyoming
8.2.49 Non-voting members
9 Changes in membership
9.1 Senate
9.2 House of Representatives
10 Committees
10.1 Senate
10.2 House of Representatives
10.3 Joint committees
11 Employees
11.1 Legislative branch agency directors
11.2 Senate
11.3 House of Representatives
12 See also
13 External links
Major events
- January 20, 1949: President Harry S. Truman began his second (only full) term.
- August 16, 1949: Office of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff created
- January 21, 1950: Accused communist spy Alger Hiss was convicted of perjury
- January 31, 1950: President Truman ordered the development of the hydrogen bomb, in response to the detonation of the Soviet Union's first atomic bomb in 1949
- June 27, 1950: Korean War: President Truman ordered American military forces to aid in the defense of South Korea
Major legislation
- June 20, 1949: Central Intelligence Agency Act, ch. 227, 63 Stat. 208, 50 U.S.C. § 403a
- October 25, 1949: Hospital Survey and Construction Amendments of 1949, ch. 722, Pub.L. 81–380, 63 Stat. 898
- October 26, 1949: Fair Labor Standards Amendment, ch. 736, Pub.L. 81–393, 63 Stat. 910, 29 U.S.C. ch. 8
- October 31, 1949: Agricultural Act of 1949, ch. 792, 63 Stat. 1051
- May 5, 1950: Uniform Code of Military Justice, ch. 169, 64 Stat. 109
- May 10, 1950: National Science Foundation Act, ch. 171, Pub.L. 81–507, 64 Stat. 149, 42 U.S.C. ch. 16
- September 8, 1950: Defense Production Act of 1950, Pub.L. 81–774, 64 Stat. 798
- September 12, 1950: Budget and Accounting Procedures Act of 1950, ch. 946, 64 Stat. 832
- September 23, 1950: McCarran Internal Security Act (including Subversive Activities Control Act of 1950), ch. 1024, 64 Stat. 987, 50 U.S.C. § 781
- September 30, 1950: Performance Rating Act, ch. 1123, 64 Stat. 1098
- August 15, 1950: Omnibus Medical Research Act, Pub.L. 81–692, 64 Stat. 443 (including Public Health Services Act Amendments, which established the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness)
- December 29, 1950: Celler–Kefauver Act (Anti-Merger Act), ch. 1184, 64 Stat. 1125
- January 12, 1951: Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, ch. 1228, 64 Stat. 1245 (codified in 50 U.S.C. App., here [1])
Treaties
- July 21, 1949: North Atlantic Treaty ratified, establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Hearings
- May 11, 1950: Kefauver Committee hearings into U.S. organized crime began
Party summary
Senate
Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (D) | Republican (R) | |||
End of the previous congress | 45 | 51 | 96 | 0 |
Begin | 54 | 42 | 96 | 0 |
End | 53 | 43 | ||
Final voting share | 7001552000000000000♠55.2% | 7001448000000000000♠44.8% | ||
Beginning of the next congress | 49 | 47 | 96 | 0 |
House of Representatives
Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Labor (AL) | Democratic (D) | Liberal (Lib) | Republican (R) | Independent (I) | |||
End of the previous congress | 2 | 184 | 0 | 244 | 0 | 430 | 5 |
Begin | 1 | 264 | 0 | 169 | 0 | 434 | 1 |
End | 261 | 1 | 168 | 431 | 4 | ||
Final voting share | 6999200000000000000♠0.2% | 7001606000000000000♠60.6% | 6999200000000000000♠0.2% | 7001390000000000000♠39.0% | 5000000000000000000♠0.0% | ||
Beginning of the next congress | 0 | 235 | 0 | 199 | 1 | 435 | 0 |
Leadership
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Senate
President: Vacant until January 20, 1949
Alben W. Barkley (D), from January 20, 1949
Majority (Democratic) leadership
Majority Leader: Scott W. Lucas
Majority Whip: Francis J. Myers
Caucus Secretary: Brien McMahon
Minority (Republican) leadership
Minority Leader: Kenneth S. Wherry
Minority Whip: Leverett Saltonstall
Conference Chairman: Eugene Millikin
Republican Conference Secretary: Milton Young
National Senatorial Committee Chair: Styles Bridges
Policy Committee Chairman: Robert A. Taft
House of Representatives
Speaker: Sam Rayburn (D)
Majority (Democratic) leadership
Majority Leader: John W. McCormack
Majority Whip: J. Percy Priest
Caucus Chairman: Francis E. Walter
Caucus Secretary: Chase G. Woodhouse
Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Michael J. Kirwan
Minority (Republican) leadership
Minority Leader: Joseph W. Martin, Jr.
Minority Whip: Leslie C. Arends
Conference Chair: Roy O. Woodruff
Caucuses
- House Democratic Caucus
- Senate Democratic Caucus
Members
Senate
Senators are popularly elected statewide every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Senators are ordered first by state, and then by seniority. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election, In this Congress, Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1950; Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1952; and Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1954.
|
| Senate Majority Leaders Senate Minority Leaders |
House of Representatives
|
| House Majority Leaders House Minority Leaders |
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.
Senate
State (class) | Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kentucky (3) | Alben W. Barkley (D) | Incumbent resigned January 19, 1949, to become U.S. Vice President. Successor appointed January 20, 1949, to finish the term. | Garrett L. Withers (D) | January 20, 1949 |
North Carolina (2) | J. Melville Broughton (D) | Incumbent died March 6, 1949. Successor appointed March 29, 1949, to continue the term. | Frank P. Graham (D) | March 29, 1949 |
New York (3) | Robert F. Wagner (D) | Incumbent resigned June 28, 1949, due to ill health. Successor appointed July 7, 1949, to continue the term. | John Foster Dulles (R) | July 7, 1949 |
Rhode Island (1) | J. Howard McGrath (D) | Incumbent resigned August 23, 1949, to become U.S. Attorney General. Successor appointed to continue the term. | Edward L. Leahy (D) | August 24, 1949 |
Idaho (2) | Bert H. Miller (D) | Incumbent died October 8, 1949. Successor appointed to continue the term. Successor later elected November 7, 1950. | Henry Dworshak (R) | October 14, 1949 |
Kansas (3) | Clyde M. Reed (R) | Incumbent died November 8, 1949. Successor appointed to continue the term. | Harry Darby (R) | December 2, 1949 |
New York (3) | John Foster Dulles (R) | Interim appointee lost November 8, 1949, election to finish the term. Successor elected November 8, 1949. | Herbert H. Lehman (D) | November 9, 1949 |
Connecticut (1) | Raymond E. Baldwin (R) | Incumbent resigned December 16, 1949. Successor appointed to continue the term. Successor later elected November 7, 1950. | William Benton (D) | December 17, 1949 |
Kentucky (3) | Garrett L. Withers (D) | Interim appointee resigned November 26, 1950, to trigger special election. Successor elected November 7, 1950. | Earle C. Clements (D) | November 27, 1950 |
North Carolina (2) | Frank P. Graham (D) | Interim appointee lost November 7, 1950, election to finish the term. Successor elected November 7, 1950. | Willis Smith (D) | November 27, 1950 |
Kansas (3) | Harry Darby (R) | Interim appointee retired November 28, 1950, when successor elected. Successor elected November 29, 1950. | Frank Carlson (R) | November 29, 1950 |
California (3) | Sheridan Downey (D) | Incumbent resigned November 30, 1950, due to ill health. Successor appointed to finish term, having already been elected to the next term. | Richard Nixon (R) | December 1, 1950 |
Rhode Island (1) | Edward L. Leahy (D) | Interim appointee retired December 18, 1950, when successor elected. Successor elected December 19, 1950. | John O. Pastore (D) | December 19, 1950 |
House of Representatives
District | Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation |
---|---|---|---|---|
New York 7th | Vacant | Rep. John J. Delaney died during previous congress | Louis B. Heller (D) | February 15, 1949 |
New York 20th | Sol Bloom (D) | Died March 7, 1949. | Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. (Lib) | May 17, 1949 |
New York 10th | Andrew L. Somers (D) | Died April 6, 1949. | Edna F. Kelly (D) | November 8, 1949 |
Pennsylvania 26th | Robert L. Coffey (D) | Died April 20, 1949. | John P. Saylor (R) | September 13, 1949 |
California 5th | Richard J. Welch (R) | Died September 10, 1949. | John F. Shelley (D) | November 8, 1949 |
Massachusetts 6th | George J. Bates (R) | Died November 1, 1949. | William H. Bates (R) | February 14, 1950 |
Illinois 5th | Martin Gorski (D) | Died December 4, 1949. | Vacant | Not filled for the remainder of this term |
New Jersey 7th | J. Parnell Thomas (R) | Resigned January 2, 1950, following conviction on charges of salary fraud. | William B. Widnall (R) | February 6, 1950 |
Virginia 1st | S. Otis Bland (D) | Died February 16, 1950. | Edward J. Robeson, Jr. (D) | May 2, 1950 |
Illinois 13th | Ralph E. Church (R) | Died March 21, 1950. | Vacant | Not filled for the remainder of this term |
Texas 18th | Eugene Worley (D) | Resigned April 3, 1950, to become associate judge of the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. | Vacant | Not filled for the remainder of this term |
Michigan 16th | John Lesinski, Sr. (D) | Died May 27, 1950. | Vacant | Not filled for the remainder of this term |
North Dakota At-large | William Lemke (R) | Died May 30, 1950. | Vacant | Not filled for the remainder of this term |
North Carolina 11th | Alfred L. Bulwinkle (D) | Died August 31, 1950. | Woodrow W. Jones (D) | November 7, 1950 |
Kansas 3rd | Herbert A. Meyer (R) | Died October 2, 1950. | Myron V. George (R) | November 7, 1950 |
California 12th | Richard Nixon (R) | Resigned November 30, 1950, after being appointed to the U.S. Senate. | Vacant | Not filled for the remainder of this term |
Wyoming At-large | Frank A. Barrett (R) | Resigned December 31, 1950, after being elected Governor of Wyoming. | Vacant | Not filled for the remainder of this term |
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders, for members (House and Senate) of the committees and their assignments, go into the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of the article and click on the link (2 links), in the directory after the pages of terms of service, you will see the committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and after the committee pages, you will see the House/Senate committee assignments in the directory, 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
- Agriculture and Forestry
- Appropriations
- Banking and Currency
- District of Columbia
- Expenditures in Executive Departments
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- Interior and Insular Affairs
- Subcommittee on Internal Security
- Interstate and Foreign Commerce
- Judiciary
- Labor and Public Welfare
Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce (Select)- Post Office and Civil Service
- Public Works
Remodeling the Senate Chamber (Special)
Small Business (Select)
Small Business Enterprises (Special)- Whole
House of Representatives
- Agriculture
- Appropriations
- Banking and Currency
- District of Columbia
- Education and Labor
- Expenditures in the Executive Departments
- Foreign Affairs
- House Administration
- Merchant Marine and Fisheries
- Post Office and Civil Service
- Public Lands
- Public Works
- Rules
Small Business (Select)- Standards of Official Conduct
- Un-American Activities
- Veterans' Affairs
- Ways and Means
- Whole
Joint committees
- Atomic Energy
Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)- Defense Production
- Disposition of Executive Papers
- Foreign Economic Cooperation
- Economic
- Labor Management Relations
- Legislative Budget
- The Library
- Navajo-Hopi Indian Administration
- Printing
- Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures
- Taxation
Employees
Legislative branch agency directors
Architect of the Capitol: David Lynn
Attending Physician of the United States Congress: George Calver
Comptroller General of the United States: Lindsay C. Warren
Librarian of Congress: Luther H. Evans
Public Printer of the United States: John J. Deviny
Senate
Chaplain: Peter Marshall (Presbyterianism) (until February 3, 1949), Frederick Brown Harris (Methodist) (starting February 3, 1949)
Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins
Secretary: Leslie Biffle
Sergeant at Arms: Joseph C. Duke
House of Representatives
Chaplain:
James Shera Montgomery (Methodist)
Bernard Braskamp (Presbyterian)
Clerk: Ralph R. Roberts
Doorkeeper: William Mosley Miller
Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
Postmaster: Finis E. Scott
Reading Clerks: N/A (R) and N/A (D)
Sergeant at Arms: Joseph H. Callahan
See also
United States elections, 1948 (elections leading to this Congress)
- United States presidential election, 1948
- United States Senate elections, 1948 and 1949
- United States House of Representatives elections, 1948
United States elections, 1950 (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
- United States Senate elections, 1950
- United States House of Representatives elections, 1950
External links
House of Representatives Session Calendar for the 81st Congress (PDF)..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
Official Congressional Directory for the 81st Congress, 1st Session.
Official Congressional Directory for the 81st Congress, 2nd Session.