Senate PresidentHenry A. Wallace (D) House Speaker:Sam Rayburn (D) House Majority:Democratic
Senate Pres. pro tem:Carter Glass (D) Senate Majority:Democratic
Members:96 Senators
435 Representatives
4 Non-voting members
The Seventy-eighth 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, DC from January 3, 1943 to January 3, 1945, during the last two years of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Sixteenth Census of the United States in 1940. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
Minority Leader: Charles L. McNary, until February 25, 1944
Wallace H. White, Jr., after February 25, 1944
Minority whip: No Republican whips were appointed from 1935 to 1944 since only 17 Republicans were in the Senate following the landslide reelection of President Franklin Roosevelt in 1936. Accordingly, the minutes of the Republican Conference for the period state: "On motion of Senator Hastings, duly seconded and carried, it was agreed that no Assistant Leader or Whip be elected but that the chairman be authorized to appoint Senators from time to time to assist him in taking charge of the interests of the minority." A note attached to the conference minutes added: "The chairman of the conference, Senator McNary, apparently appointed Senator Austin of Vermont as assistant leader in 1943 and 1944, until the conference adopted Rules of Organization."
Republican Conference Secretary: Wallace H. White, Jr., until February 25, 1944
Harold Hitz Burton (from February 25, 1944)
House of Representatives
Speaker: Sam Rayburn (D)
Majority (Democratic) leadership
Majority Leader: John William McCormack
Majority whip: Robert Ramspeck
Democratic Caucus Chairman: Harry R. Sheppard
Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Patrick H. Drewry
Minority (Republican) leadership
Minority Leader: Joseph William Martin, Jr.
Minority whip: Harry Lane Englebright, until May 13, 1943
Leslie C. Arends, from May 13, 1943
Republican Conference Chairman: Roy O. Woodruff
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.
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
Agriculture and Forestry
Appropriations
Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate