80th Congress of the United States

The 80th Congress of the United States , consisting of the House and Senate , was the legislature of the United States . Its legislative term lasted from January 3, 1947 to January 3, 1949. All members of the House of Representatives and a third of the Senators ( Class I ) were elected in the state of Maine in the November 1946 and September congressional elections. This resulted in a majority for the Republican Party in both chambers . However, the Democrats made Harry S. Truman the president. Its fair deal policy was largely blocked by the Republican majority in Congress. During the legislative period there were a few resignations and deaths, but these did not change the majority. The Congress met in the American capital Washington, DC The United States at that time consisted of 48 states. The distribution of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1940 census .

Important events

January 3, 1947: beginning of the legislative period of the 80th Congress. The opening ceremony was broadcast on television for the first time.
March 12, 1947: In a joint session of the two chambers of congress, President Truman proclaims the Truman Doctrine named after him .
July 20, 1947: Due to increasing tensions with the Soviet Union at the beginning of the Cold War , President Truman decreed general conscription.
November 24, 1947: The House of Representatives approves a resolution against the so-called blacklist (Hollywood 10) which is accused of obstructing the work of Congress. (contempt of Congress).
July 26, 1948: President Truman decrees an end to racial segregation in the American armed forces.
August 25, 1948: The Un-American Activities Committee holds its first televised meeting.
November 2, 1948: President Truman is re-elected. In the congressional elections, the Democrats win a majority in both chambers.

The main laws

During the session of the 80th Congress, the following federal laws were passed ( see also: Legislative procedure ):

May 22, 1947: Assistance to Greece and Turkey Act under the Truman Doctrine.
June 23, 1947: Taft-Hartley Act
July 18, 1947: Presidential Succession Act
July 26, 1947: National Security Act . This creates the United States Department of Defense , the United States Air Force , the United States National Security Council, and the CIA , among others .
August 7, 1947: Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands
January 27, 1948: United States Information and Educational Exchange Act
April 3, 1948: Foreign Assistance Act under the Marshall Plan
April 3, 1948: Greek-Turkish Assistance Act of 1948 also part of the Marshall Plan
May 26, 1948: Civil Air Patrol Act
June 17, 1948: Reed-Bulwinkle Act
June 25, 1948: Title 3 of the United States Code
June 28, 1948: Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act of 1948
June 30, 1948: Federal Water Pollution Control Act
July 3, 1948: War Claims Act of 1948
1948: Agricultural Act of 1948

Composition according to parties

senate

Democratic Party: 45
Republican Party: 51 (majority)
Others (0

Total: 96

House of Representatives

Democratic Party: 185
Republican Party: 248 (majority)
Others: 1
Vacant: 1

Total: 435

There were also three congressional delegates who were not entitled to vote

Public officials

senate

President of the Senate : Vacant
President pro tempore : Arthur H. Vandenberg (R)

Leadership of the majority party

Majority Leader: Wallace H. White (R)
Majority swip: Kenneth S. Wherry (R)

Leadership of the minority party

Minority Leader: Alben W. Barkley (D)
Minority whip: Scott W. Lucas (D)

House of Representatives

House Speaker : Joseph William Martin (R)

Leadership of the majority party

Majority Leader: Charles A. Halleck (R)
Majority swip: Leslie C. Arends , (R)

Leadership of the minority party

Minority Leader: Sam Rayburn (D)
Minority whip: John W. McCormack (D)

Senate members

The following senators represented their respective states in the 80th Congress:

Alabama

2. John Sparkman (D)
3. J. Lister Hill (D)

Arizona

1. Ernest McFarland (D)
3. Carl Hayden (D)

Arkansas

2. John Little McClellan (D)
3. J. William Fulbright (D)

California

1. William F. Knowland (R)
3. Sheridan Downey (D)

Colorado

2. Edwin C. Johnson (D)
3. Eugene Millikin (R)

Connecticut

1. Raymond E. Baldwin (R)
3. Brien McMahon (D)

Delaware

1. John J. Williams (R)
2. C. Douglass Buck (R)

Florida

1. Spessard Holland (D)
3. Claude Pepper (D)

Georgia

2. Richard B. Russell (D)
3. Walter F. George (D)

Idaho

2. Henry Dworshak (R)
3. Glen H. Taylor (D)

Illinois

2. Charles W. Brooks (R)
3. Scott W. Lucas (D)

Indiana

1. William E. Jenner (R)
3. Homer E. Capehart (R)

Iowa

2. George A. Wilson (R)
3. Bourke B. Hickenlooper (R)

Kansas

2. Arthur Capper (R)
3. Clyde M. Reed (R)

Kentucky

2. John Sherman Cooper (R)
3. Albums W. Barkley (D)

Louisiana

2. Allen J. Ellender (D)
3. John H. Overton (D) until May 14, 1948
- William C. Feazel (D) from May 18 to December 30, 1948
- Russell B. Long (D) from December 31, 1948

Maine

1. Owen Brewster (R)
2. Wallace H. White (R)

Maryland

1. Herbert O'Conor (D)
3. Millard Tydings (D)

Massachusetts

1. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (R)
2. Leverett Saltonstall (R)

Michigan

1. Arthur H. Vandenberg (R)
2. Homer S. Ferguson (R)

Minnesota

1. Edward John Thye (R)
2. Joseph H. Ball (R)

Mississippi

1. Theodore G. Bilbo (D) until August 21, 1947
- John C. Stennis (D) from November 17, 1947
2. James Eastland (D)

Missouri

1. James P. Kem (R)
3. Forrest C. Donnell (R)

Montana

1. Zales Ecton (R)
2. James Edward Murray (D)

Nebraska

1. Hugh A. Butler (R)
2. Kenneth S. Wherry (R)

Nevada

1. George W. Malone (R)
3. Pat McCarran (D)

New Hampshire

2. Styles Bridges (R)
3. Charles W. Tobey (R)

New Jersey

1. Howard Alexander Smith (R)
2. Albert W. Hawkes (R)

New Mexico

1. Dennis Chavez (D)
2. Carl Hatch (D)

new York

1. Irving Ives (R)
3. Robert F. Wagner (D)

North Carolina

2. William B. Umstead (D) until December 30, 1948
- J. Melville Broughton (D) from December 31, 1948
3. Clyde R. Hoey (D)

North Dakota

1. William Langer (R)
3. Milton Young (R)

Ohio

1. John W. Bricker (R)
3. Robert A. Taft (R)

Oklahoma

2. Edward H. Moore (R)
3. Elmer Thomas (D)

Oregon

2. Guy Cordon (R)
3. Wayne Morse (R)

Pennsylvania

1. Edward Martin (R)
3. Francis J. Myers (D)

Rhode Island

1. J. Howard McGrath (D)
2. Theodore F. Green (D)

South carolina

2. Burnet R. Maybank (D)
3. Olin D. Johnston (D)

South Dakota

2. Harlan J. Bushfield (R) through September 27, 1948
- Vera C. Bushfield (R) from October 6 to December 26, 1948
- Karl Earl Mundt (R) from December 31, 1948
3. John Chandler Gurney (R)

Tennessee

1. Kenneth McKellar (D)
2. Tom Stewart (D)

Texas

1. Tom Connally (D)
2. W. Lee O'Daniel (D)

Utah

1. Arthur Vivian Watkins (R)
3. Elbert D. Thomas (D)

Vermont

1. Ralph Flanders (R)
3. George Aiken (R)

Virginia

1. Harry F. Byrd Sr. (D)
2. Absalom Willis Robertson (D)

Washington

1. Harry P. Cain (R)
3. Warren G. Magnuson (D)

West Virginia

1. Harley M. Kilgore (D)
2. W. Chapman Revercomb (R)

Wisconsin

1. Joseph McCarthy (R)
3. Alexander Wiley (R)

Wyoming

1. Joseph C. O'Mahoney (D)
2. Edward V. Robertson (R)

Members of the House of Representatives

The following congressmen represented the interests of their respective states in the 80th Congress:

Alabama 9 constituencies

1. Frank W. Boykin (D)
2. George M. Grant (D)
3. George W. Andrews (D)
4. Sam Hobbs (D)
5. Albert Rains (D)
6. Pete Jarman (D)
7. Carter Manasco (D)
8. Robert Jones Jr. (D) from January 28, 1948
9. Laurie C. Battle (D)

Arizona state wide election

John R. Murdock (D)
Richard F. Harless (D)

Arkansas 7 constituencies.

California 23 constituencies.

Colorado 4 constituencies

Connecticut 5 constituencies. In addition, a member was elected nationwide

1. William J. Miller (R)
2. Horace Seely-Brown (R)
3. Ellsworth Foote (R)
4. John Davis Lodge (R)
5. James T. Patterson (R)
6. Antoni Sadlak (R) elected nationwide

Delaware state-wide choice

Cale Boggs (R)

Florida 6 constituencies

Georgia 10 constituencies

Idaho 2 constituencies

1. Abe Goff (R)
2. John C. Sanborn (R)

Illinois 25 constituencies. In addition, a member was elected nationwide

1. William L. Dawson (D)
2. Richard B. Vail (R)
3. Fred E. Busbey (R)
4. Martin Gorski (D)
5. Adolph J. Sabath (D)
6. Thomas J. O'Brien (D)
7. Thomas L. Owens (R) until June 7, 1948, after which the seat remained vacant
8. Thomas S. Gordon (D)
9. Robert Twyman (R)
10. Ralph E. Church (R)
11. Chauncey W. Reed (R)
12. Noah M. Mason (R)
13. Leo E. Allen (R)
14. Anton J. Johnson (R)
15. Robert B. Chiperfield (R)
16. Everett Dirksen (R)
17. Leslie C. Arends (R)
18. Edward H. Jenison (R)
19. Rolla C. McMillen (R)
20. Sid Simpson (R)
21. George Evan Howell (R) until October 5, 1947, after which the seat remained vacant
22. Charles Melvin Price (D)
23. Charles W. Vursell (R)
24. Roy Clippinger (R)
25. CW Bishop (R)
26. William Stratton (R) elected state-wide

Indiana 11 constituencies

1. Ray J. Madden (D)
2. Charles A. Halleck (R)
3. Robert A. Grant (R)
4. George W. Gillie (R)
5. Forest Harness (R)
6. Noble J. Johnson (R) until July 1, 1948, after which the seat remained vacant
7. Gerald W. Landis (R)
8. EA Mitchell (R)
9. Earl Wilson (R)
10. Raymond S. Springer (R) until August 28, 1947
- Ralph Harvey (R) from November 4, 1947
11. Louis Ludlow (D)

Iowa 8 constituencies

Kansas 6 constituencies.

Kentucky 9 constituencies

1. Noble Jones Gregory (D)
2. Earle C. Clements (D) until January 6, 1948
- John A. Whitaker (D) from April 17, 1948
3. Thruston Ballard Morton (R)
4. Frank Chelf (D)
5. Brent Spence (D)
6. Virgil Chapman (D)
7. Wendell H. Meade (R)
8. Joe B. Bates (D)
9. John M. Robsion (R) through February 17, 1948
- William Lewis (R) from April 24, 1948

Louisiana 8 constituencies

Maine 3 constituencies

Maryland 6 constituencies.

1. Edward Tylor Miller (R)
2. Hugh Meade (D)
3. Thomas D'Alesandro (D) until May 16, 1947
- Edward Garmatz (D) from July 15, 1947
4. George Hyde Fallon (D)
5. Lansdale Sasscer (D)
6. James Glenn Beall (R)

Massachusetts 14 constituencies

1. John W. Heselton (R)
2. Charles R. Clason (R)
3. Philip J. Philbin (D)
4. Harold Donohue (D)
5. Edith Nourse Rogers (R)
6. George J. Bates (R)
7. Thomas J. Lane (D)
8. Angier Goodwin (R)
9. Charles L. Gifford (R) until August 23, 1947
- Donald W. Nicholson (R) from November 18, 1947
10. Christian Herter (R)
11. John F. Kennedy (D)
12. John W. McCormack (D)
13. Richard B. Wigglesworth (R)
14. Joseph William Martin (R)

Michigan 17 constituencies

1. George G. Sadowski (D)
2. Earl C. Michener (R)
3. Paul W. Shafer (R)
4. Clare Hoffman (R)
5. Bartel J. Jonkman (R)
6. William W. Blackney (R)
7. Jesse P. Wolcott (R)
8. Fred L. Crawford (R)
9. Albert J. Engel (R)
10. Roy O. Woodruff (R)
11. Fred Bradley (R) until May 24, 1947
- Charles E. Potter (R) from August 26, 1947
12. John B. Bennett (R)
13. Howard A. Coffin (R)
14. Harold F. Youngblood (R)
15. John Dingell Sr. (D)
16. John Lesinski Sr. (D)
17. George Anthony Dondero (R)

Minnesota 9 constituencies

August 1st H. Andresen (R)

2. Joseph Patrick O'Hara (R)

3. George MacKinnon (R)

4. Edward Devitt (R)

5. Walter Henry Judd (R)

6. Harold Knutson (R)

7. Herman Carl Andersen (R)

8. John Blatnik (DFL = Democratic Farmer Labor Party)

9. Harold Hagen (R)

Mississippi 7 constituencies

Missouri 13 constituencies

1. Samuel W. Arnold (R)
2. Max Schwabe (R)
3. William Clay Cole (R)
4. C. Jasper Bell (D)
5. Albert L. Reeves Jr. (R)
6. Marion Tinsley Bennett (R)
7. Dewey Jackson Short (R)
8. Parke M. Banta (R)
9. Clarence Cannon (D)
10. Orville Zimmerman (D) until April 7, 1948
- Paul C. Jones (D) from November 2, 1948
11. Claude I. Bakewell (R)
12. Walter C. Ploeser (R)
13. Frank M. Karsten (D)

Montana 2 electoral districts

1. Mike Mansfield (D)
2. Wesley A. D'Ewart (R)

Nebraska 4 constituencies

Nevada state-wide election

Charles H. Russell (R)

New Hampshire 2 electoral divisions

1. Chester Earl Merrow (R)
2. Norris Cotton (R)

New Jersey 14 constituencies

New Mexico State-wide election for two MPs

Georgia Lee Lusk (D)
Antonio M. Fernández (D)

New York 45 constituencies

1. W. Kingsland Macy (R)
2. Leonard W. Hall (R)
3. Henry J. Latham (R)
4. Gregory McMahon (R)
5. Robert Tripp Ross (R)
6. Robert Nodar Jr. (R)
7. John J. Delaney (D) until November 18, 1948, after which the seat remained vacant
8. Joseph L. Pfeifer (D)
9. Eugene James Keogh (D)
10. Andrew Lawrence Somers (D)
11. James J. Heffernan (D)
12. John J. Rooney (D)
13. Donald L. O'Toole (D)
14. Leo F. Rayfiel (D) until September 13, 1947
- Abraham J. Multer (D) from November 4, 1947
15. Emanuel Celler (D)
16. Ellsworth B. Buck (R)
17. Frederic R. Coudert Jr. (R)
18. Vito Marcantonio (American Labor Party)
19. Arthur George Klein (D)
20. Sol Bloom (D)
21. Jacob K. Javits (R)
22. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (D)
23. Walter A. Lynch (D)
24. Benjamin J. Rabin (D) until December 31, 1947
- Leo Isacson (American Labor Party) from February 17, 1948
25. Charles A. Buckley (D)
26. David M. Potts (R)
27. Ralph W. Gwinn (R)
28. Ralph A. Gamble (R)
29. Katharine St. George (R)
30. Jay Le Fevre (R)
31. Bernard W. Kearney (R)
32.William T. Byrne (D)
33.Dean P. Taylor (R)
34. Clarence E. Kilburn (R)
35. Hadwen C. Fuller (R)
36. R. Walter Riehlman (R)
37. Edwin Arthur Hall (R)
38. John Taber (R)
39.William Sterling Cole (R)
40. Kenneth Keating (R)
41. James W. Wadsworth Jr. (R)
42.Walter G. Andrews (R)
43. Edward J. Elsaesser (R)
44. John Cornelius Butler (R)
45.Daniel A. Reed (R)

North Carolina 12 constituencies

North Dakota 2 MPs who were state-elected

William Lemke (Nonpartisan Republican)
Charles R. Robertson (R)

Ohio 22 constituencies. In addition, a member was elected nationwide.

1. Charles H. Elston (R)
2. William E. Hess (R)
3. Raymond H. Burke (R)
4. Robert Franklin Jones (R) until September 2, 1947
- William Moore McCulloch (R) from November 4, 1947
5. Cliff Clevenger (R)
6. Edward Oscar McCowen (R)
7. Clarence J. Brown (R)
8. Frederick Cleveland Smith (R)
9. Homer A. Ramey (R)
10. Thomas A. Jenkins (R)
11. Walter E. Brehm (R)
12. John Martin Vorys (R)
13. Alvin F. Weichel (R)
14. Walter B. Huber (D)
15. Percy W. Griffiths (R)
16. Henderson H. Carson (R)
17. J. Harry McGregor (R)
18. Earl R. Lewis (R)
19. Michael J. Kirwan (D)
20. Michael A. Feighan (D)
21. Robert Crosser (D)
22. Frances P. Bolton (R)
23. George H. Bender (R) elected state wide

Oklahoma 8 constituencies

Oregon 4 constituencies

Pennsylvania 33 constituencies

1. James A. Gallagher (R)
2. Robert N. McGarvey (R)
3. Hardie Scott (R)
4. Franklin J. Maloney (R)
5. George W. Sarbacher (R)
6. Hugh Scott (R)
7. E. Wallace Chadwick (R)
8. Charles L. Gerlach (R) until May 5, 1947
- Franklin H. Lichtenwalter (R) from September 9, 1947
9. Paul B. Dague (R)
10. James P. Scoblick (R)
11. Mitchell Jenkins (R)
12. Ivor D. Fenton (R)
13. Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg (R)
14. Wilson D. Gillette (R)
15. Robert F. Rich (R)
16. Samuel K. McConnell (R)
17. Richard M. Simpson (R)
18. John C. Kunkel (R)
19. Leon H. Gavin (R)
20. Francis E. Walter (D)
21. Chester H. Gross (R)
22. James E. Van Zandt (R)
23. William J. Crow (R)
24. Thomas E. Morgan (D)
25. Louis E. Graham (R)
26. Harve Tibbott (R)
27. Augustine B. Kelley (D)
28. Carroll D. Kearns (R)
29. John McDowell (R)
30. Robert J. Corbett (R)
31. James G. Fulton (R)
32. Herman P. Eberharter (D)
33. Frank Buchanan (D)

Rhode Island 2 electoral districts

1. Aime Forand (D)
2. John E. Fogarty (D)

South Carolina 6 constituencies.

South Dakota 2 constituencies

1. Karl Earl Mundt (R) until December 30, 1948, after which the seat remained vacant
2. Francis H. Case (R)

Tennessee 10 constituencies

Texas 21 constituencies

1. Wright Patman (D)
2. Jesse M. Combs (D)
3. Lindley Beckworth (D)
4. Sam Rayburn (D)
5. Joseph Franklin Wilson (D)
6. Olin E. Teague (D)
7. Tom Pickett (D)
8. Albert Thomas (D)
9. Joseph J. Mansfield (D) until July 12, 1947
- Clark W. Thompson (D) from August 23, 1947
10. Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
11. William R. Poage (D)
12. Wingate H. Lucas (D)
13. Ed Gossett (D)
14. John E. Lyle (D)
15. Milton H. West (D) until October 28, 1948
- Lloyd Bentsen (D) from December 4, 1948
16. R. Ewing Thomason (D) until July 31, 1947
- Kenneth M. Regan (D) from August 23, 1947
17. Omar Truman Burleson (D)
18. Eugene Worley (D)
19. George H. Mahon (D)
20. Paul Joseph Kilday (D)
21. OC Fisher (D)

Utah 2 constituencies

1. Walter K. Granger (D)
2. William A. Dawson (R)

Vermont 1 constituency (state-wide)

1. Charles Albert Plumley (R)

Virginia 9 constituencies

1. S. Otis Bland (D)
2. Porter Hardy Jr. (D)
3. J. Vaughan Gary (D)
4. Patrick H. Drewry (D) until December 21, 1947
- Watkins Moorman Abbitt (D) from February 17, 1948
5. Thomas Bahnson Stanley (D)
6. James Lindsay Almond (D) until April 17, 1948
- Clarence G. Burton (D) from November 2, 1948
7. Burr Harrison (D)
8. Howard W. Smith (D)
9. John W. Flannagan (D)

Washington 6 constituencies

1. Homer Jones (R)
2. Henry M. Jackson (D)
3. Fred B. Norman (R) until April 18, 1947
- Russell V. Mack (R) from June 7, 1947
4. Hal Holmes (R)
5. Walt Horan (R)
6. Thor Tollefson (R)

West Virginia 6 constituencies

Wisconsin 10 constituencies

1. Lawrence H. Smith (R)
2. Glenn Robert Davis (R) from April 22, 1947
3. William H. Stevenson (R)
4. John C. Brophy (R)
5. Charles J. Kersten (R)
6. Frank Bateman Keefe (R)
7. Reid F. Murray (R)
8. John W. Byrnes (R)
9. Merlin Hull (R)
10. Alvin O'Konski (R)

Wyoming state-wide elections

Frank A. Barrett (R)

Members of the House of Representatives who are not entitled to vote:

Alaska Territory :
- Bob Bartlett (D)
Hawaii Territory :
- Joseph Rider Farrington (R)
Puerto Rico :
- Antonio Fernós Isern

Web links

Commons : 80th United States Congress - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files

bioguide.congress.gov (by entering 80 under Year OR Congress: you get a list of the members of the 80th Congress with a link to the official biographies; English)