80th United States Congress
80th United States Congress
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80th United States Congress

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80th United States Congress

The 80th 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, 1947, to January 3, 1949, during the third and fourth years of 33rd President Harry S. Truman's administration (1945–1953). This congressional term featured the most recent special Senate sessions. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1940 United States census.

The Republicans won the majority in both chambers, marking the first time since the 71st Congress of 1929–1931 that they held full control of Congress, and the first time since the 72nd Congress of 1931–1933 that they held control of either of the two chambers. This also ended a 14-year Democratic overall federal government trifecta period, dating back to the 73rd Congress (1933–1935) when Truman's predecessor Franklin D. Roosevelt took office. This ties with the previous 14-year Republican trifecta from 1897 to 1911 as the longest trifectas of Congress, and is the last time (as of the year 2024) that a trifecta was achieved that lasted longer than a decade.

Although the 80th Congress passed a total of 906 public bills, President Truman nicknamed it during his campaign speeches and remarks as the "Do Nothing Congress" and, during the 1948 elections, campaigned as much against it as against his formal opponent, Thomas E. Dewey of New York, the Republican presidential nominee. The 80th Congress did, however, pass several significant bills with bipartisan support, most famously the Truman Doctrine (on Greece-Turkey anti-communists' aid in the developing Cold War with former ally the Soviet Union), the Marshall Plan (aid for devastated Europe after World War II), and the Taft–Hartley Act of 1947 on labor relations (over Truman's veto), but it opposed most of Truman's Fair Deal domestic programs bills.

From the beginning to the end of this Congress, there was no net change in party power. The Democrats lost one seat, which remained vacant until the next Congress.

Section contents: Senate: Majority (R), Minority (D)House: Majority (R), Minority (D)

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 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1948; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1950; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1952.

The names of representatives elected statewide at-large, are preceded by an "At-large", and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.

The congressional district numbers are linked to articles describing the district itself. Since the boundaries of the districts have changed often and substantially, the linked article may only describe the district as it exists today, and not as it was at the time of this Congress.

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