The Seventy-ninth 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, 1945 to January 3, 1947, during the last months of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, and the first two 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.
April 12, 1945: President Franklin D. Roosevelt died, Harry S. Truman became President of the United States.
September 2, 1945: World War II ended.
November 6, 1946: United States Senate elections, 1946, United States House of Representatives elections, 1946: Republicans gained control of both houses.
January 3, 1947: Proceedings of the U.S. Congress were televised for the first time.
March 9, 1945: McCarran-Ferguson Act
July 31, 1945: Bretton Woods Agreements Act, Pub.L. 79–171
July 31, 1945: Export-Import Bank Act of 1945
December 20, 1945: United Nations Participation Act
December 28, 1945: War Brides Act
February 18, 1946: Rescission Act of 1946, Pub.L. 79–301
February 20, 1946: Employment Act, Pub.L. 79–304, ch. 33, 60 Stat. 23
May 13, 1946: Federal Airport Act of 1946, Pub.L. 79–377
June 4, 1946: Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, ch. 281, 60 Stat. 230
June 11, 1946: Administrative Procedure Act, ch. 324, 60 Stat. 237
July 2, 1946: Luce-Celler Act of 1946
July 3, 1946: Hobbs Anti-Racketeering Act, ch. 537, 60 Stat. 420
July 5, 1946: Lanham Trademark Act of 1946
August 1, 1946: United States Atomic Energy Act of 1946, ch. 724, 60 Stat. 755
August 2, 1946: Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946
August 2, 1946: Federal Tort Claims Act, ch. 753, title IV, 60 Stat. 842
August 2, 1946: Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946
August 13, 1946: Foreign Service Act, ch. 957, titles I–X, 60 Stat. 999
August 13, 1946: Hospital Survey and Construction Act (Hill-Burton Act), Pub.L. 79–725, ch. 958, 60 Stat. 1040
August 14, 1946: Farmers Home Administration Act, ch. 964, 60 Stat. 1062
December 4, 1945: Senate approved the entry of the United States into the United Nations (by a vote of 65–7)
July 4, 1946: The United States ratified the Treaty of Manila, which gave independence to The Philippines
Democratic (D): 57 (majority)
Republican (R): 38
Progressive (P): 1
TOTAL members: 96
Democratic (D): 242 (majority)
Republican (R): 191
Progressive (P): 1
Labor (AL): 1
TOTAL members: 435
President:
Henry A. Wallace (D), until - January 20, 1945
Harry S. Truman (D), January 20, 1945 – April 12, 1945; thereafter vacant
President Pro Tempore: Kenneth McKellar (D)
Majority leader: Alben William Barkley (D)
Minority leader: Wallace H. White Jr. (R, acting)
Majority whip: Lister Hill (D)
Minority whip: Kenneth Wherry (R), elected 1944
Republican Conference Chairman: Arthur H. Vandenberg (R)
Republican Conference Secretary: Harold Hitz Burton (R) (until September 30, 1945)
John Chandler Gurney (R) (September 30, 1945 – January 3, 1946)
Milton Young (R) (from January 3, 1946)
Democratic Caucus Secretary: Brien McMahon
Speaker: Sam Rayburn (D)
Majority leader: John William McCormack (D)
Minority leader: Joseph William Martin, Jr. (R)
Majority whip: John J. Sparkman (D)
Minority whip: Leslie C. Arends (R)
Democratic Caucus Chairman: Jere Cooper
Republican Conference Chairman: Roy O. Woodruff
Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Patrick H. Drewry
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.
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Agriculture and Forestry ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Appropriations ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Atomic Energy (Select) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Banking and Currency ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Campaign Expenditures Investigation, 1944 (Special) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Campaign Expenditures Investigation, 1946 (Special) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Civil Service ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Civil Service Laws (Special) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Claims ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Commerce ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
District of Columbia ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Education and Labor ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Enrolled Bills ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Expenditures in Executive Departments ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Finance ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Foreign Relations ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Immigration ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Immigration and Naturalization ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Indian Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Interoceanic Canals ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Interstate Commerce ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Investigate the National Defense Program ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member) (Special)
Judiciary ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Library ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Manufactures ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Military Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Mines and Mining ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Naval Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Organization of Congress (Select) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Patents ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Pensions ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Petroleum Resources (Special) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Post Office and Civil Service ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Post Office and Post Roads ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Post-War Economic Policy and Planning (Special) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Printing ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Privileges and Elections ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Public Buildings and Grounds ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Public Lands and Surveys ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Remodeling the Senate Chamber (Special) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Rules ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Small Business Enterprises (Special) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Territories and Insular Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Whole
Wildlife Resources (Special) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Wool Production (Special) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Accounts ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Agriculture ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Appropriations ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Banking and Currency ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Census ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Claims ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Civil Service ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Coinage, Weights and Measures ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Disposition of Executive Papers ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
District of Columbia ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Education ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Election of the President, Vice President and Representatives in Congress ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Elections ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Enrolled Bills ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Expenditures in the Executive Departments ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Flood Control ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Foreign Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Immigration and Naturalization ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Indian Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Insular Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Interstate and Foreign Commerce ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Invalid Pensions ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Irrigation and Reclamation ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Labor ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Memorials ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Merchant Marine and Fisheries ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Military Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Mines and Mining ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Naval Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Patents ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Pensions ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Post Office and Civil Service ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Post Office and Post Roads ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Public Buildings and Grounds ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Public Lands ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Revision of Laws ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Rivers and Harbors ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Roads ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Rules ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Small Business (Select) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Standards of Official Conduct ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Territories ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Un-American Activities ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
War Claims ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Ways and Means ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Whole
Atomic Energy ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Disposition of Executive Papers ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Investigation of the Pearl Harbor Attack ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Legislative Budget ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
The Library ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Organization of Congress ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Selective Service Deferments ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Taxation ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
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: Augustus E. Giegengack
Chaplain: Frederick Brown Harris (Methodist)
Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins
Secretary: Edwin A. Halsey (until January 29, 1945), Leslie Biffle (starting February 8, 1945)
Sergeant at Arms: Wall Doxey
Chaplain: James Shera Montgomery (Methodist)
Clerk: South Trimble
Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
Postmaster: Finis E. Scott
Reading Clerks: [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Sergeant at Arms: Kenneth Romney
