76th United States Congress

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The 76th Congress of the United States , composed of the House and Senate , was the legislature of the United States . Its legislative term lasted from January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1941. All members of the House of Representatives and a third of the Senators ( Class III ) were elected in the state of Maine in the November 1938 and September congressional elections. This resulted in a majority in both chambers for the Democratic Party , which, along with Franklin D. Roosevelt, also provided the president. The Republican Party only had the role in the opposition. 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 1930 census .

Important events

See also 1939 and 1940

  • January 3, 1939: Beginning of the legislative period of the 76th Congress
  • April 9, 1939: African-American contralto Marian Anderson , who had been refused by conservative circles because of the color of her skin, sings to an audience of 75,000 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.
  • August 2, 1939: Albert Einstein warns President Roosevelt in a letter of a possible development of the atomic bomb in Hitler's Germany. That leads to the Manhattan Project , the beginning of the American atomic bomb development.
  • September 5, 1939: The United States declares its neutrality in the Second World War, which had broken out in Europe five days earlier .
  • November 4, 1939: President Roosevelt enacts the so-called cash and carry clause , which allows the export of weapons and armaments to non-warring states.
  • November 15, 1939: President Roosevelt lays the foundation stone for the Jefferson Memorial .
  • May 16, 1940: Against the backdrop of World War II, President Roosevelt demands that Congress approve an extraordinary budget of $ 900 million to build at least 50,000 military aircraft per year.
  • Aug 4, 1940: General John J. Pershing calls for American support for Britain during the war in a nationwide radio speech. The isolationists among them including Charles Lindbergh reject it.
  • September 1940: The 45th Infantry Division of the United States Army is formed and trained from parts of the National Guards of the states of Arizona , Colorado , New Mexico , and Oklahoma and used in World War II from December 1941.
  • September 2, 1940: The United States leases 50 destroyers to Great Britain in return for 99 years of leasing British bases in the North Atlantic, the West Indies and Bermuda.
  • September 26, 1940: The USA imposes a first embargo on Japan, which mainly affects metal deliveries.
  • October 16, 1940: Following the introduction of compulsory military service in the USA, the registration of around 16 million conscripts begins.
  • November 5, 1940: presidential and congressional elections. President Roosevelt is the only US president to be elected to a third term. In Congress, the Democrats defend their majority in both chambers.
  • December 17, 1940: President Roosevelt outlines his plan to help Britain through the proposed Lending Act .
  • December 29, 1940: President Roosevelt declares, against the backdrop of the threats posed by Nazi Germany and Japan, that the US must become the great arsenal of democracy.

The main laws

During the session of the 76th Congress, the following federal laws were passed ( see also: Legislative procedure ):

  • April 3, 1939: Reorganization Act of 1939
  • August 2, 1939: Hatch Act of 1939
  • November 4, 1939: Neutrality Act of 1939, see Neutrality Acts
  • June 29, 1940: Smith Act see Alien Registration Act
  • August 22, 1940: Act of August 22, 1940
  • September 16, 1940: Selective Training and Service Act of 1940

Composition according to parties

senate

  • Democratic Party: 68 (majority)
  • Republican Party: 23
  • Others: 4
  • Vacant: 1

Total: 96

House of Representatives

  • Democratic Party: 256 (majority)
  • Republican Party: 173
  • Others: 5
  • Vacant: 1

Total: 435

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

Public officials

senate

Leadership of the majority party

Leadership of the minority party

House of Representatives

Leadership of the majority party

Leadership of the minority party

Senate members

The following senators represented their respective states in the 76th Congress:

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

new York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Members of the House of Representatives

The following congressmen represented the interests of their respective states in the 76th Congress:

Alabama 9 constituencies

Arizona state wide election

Arkansas 7 constituencies.

California 20 constituencies.

Colorado 4 constituencies

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

Delaware state-wide choice

Florida 5 constituencies

Georgia 10 constituencies

Idaho 2 constituencies

Illinois 25 constituencies. In addition, two representatives were elected nationwide

Indiana 12 constituencies

Iowa 9 constituencies

Kansas 7 constituencies.

Kentucky 9 constituencies

Louisiana 8 constituencies

Maine 3 constituencies

Maryland 6 constituencies.

Massachusetts 15 constituencies

Michigan 17 constituencies


Minnesota 9 constituencies

Mississippi 7 constituencies

Missouri 13 constituencies

Montana 2 electoral districts

Nebraska 5 constituencies

Nevada state-wide election

New Hampshire 2 electoral divisions

New Jersey 14 constituencies

New Mexico state-wide election

New York 43 constituencies: In addition, two MPs were elected nationwide

North Carolina 11 constituencies

North Dakota 2 MPs who were state-elected

Ohio 22 constituencies. In addition, two representatives were elected nationwide.

Oklahoma 8 constituencies. In addition, a member was elected nationwide

Oregon 3 constituencies

Pennsylvania 34 constituencies

Rhode Island 2 electoral districts

South Carolina 6 constituencies.

South Dakota 2 constituencies

Tennessee 9 constituencies

Texas 21 constituencies

Utah 2 constituencies

Vermont 1 constituency (state-wide)

Virginia 9 constituencies

Washington 6 constituencies

West Virginia 6 constituencies

Wisconsin 10 constituencies

Wyoming state-wide elections

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

Web links

Commons : 76th United States Congress  - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files
  • bioguide.congress.gov (by entering 76 under Year OR Congress: you get a list of the members of the 76th Congress with a link to the official biographies; English)