The Eighty-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, D.C. from January 3, 1963 to January 3, 1965, during the last year of the administration of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and the first administration of his successor, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Eighteenth Census of the United States in 1960, and the number of members was again 435 (had temporarily been 437 in order to seat one member each from recently admitted states of Alaska and Hawaii). Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
November 22, 1963: Lyndon Johnson became President of the United States on the death of President John Kennedy.
March 30 – June 10, 1964: The longest filibuster in the history of the Senate was waged against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, with 57 days of debate over a 73-day period. It ended when the Senate voted 71–29 to invoke cloture, with the filibuster carried out by southern members of the Democratic Party, the first successful cloture motion on a civil rights bill.
August 2–4, 1964: Gulf of Tonkin Incident
June 10, 1963: Equal Pay Act, Pub.L. 88–38
October 17, 1963: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, Pub.L. 88–149
October 31, 1963: Community Mental Health Centers Act, Pub.L. 88–164, title II, including Mental Retardation Facilities Construction Act
December 17, 1963: Clean Air Act, Pub.L. 88–206
July 2, 1964: Civil Rights Act of 1964, Pub.L. 88–352
July 9, 1964: Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 (Federal Transit Act), Pub.L. 88–365
August 7, 1964: Tonkin Gulf Resolution, Pub.L. 88–408
August 20, 1964: Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, Pub.L. 88–452
August 31, 1964: Food Stamp Act of 1964, Pub.L. 88–525
September 3, 1964: Wilderness Act, Pub.L. 88–577
September 4, 1964: Nurse Training Act, Pub.L. 88–581
1964: Library Services and Construction Act
President of the Senate: Lyndon Johnson (D), until November 22, 1963; thereafter vacant
President pro tempore: Carl Hayden (D)
Permanent Acting President pro tempore: Lee Metcalf (D), from June 15, 1963
Majority Leader: Mike Mansfield (D)
Majority Whip: Hubert Humphrey (D)
Caucus Secretary: George Smathers (D)
Minority Leader: Everett Dirksen (R)
Minority Whip: Thomas Kuchel (R)
Republican Conference Chairman: Leverett Saltonstall (R)
Republican Conference Secretary: Milton Young (R)
National Senatorial Committee Chair: Thruston Ballard Morton (R)
Policy Committee Chairman: Bourke B. Hickenlooper (R)
Speaker: John McCormack (D)
Majority Leader: Carl Albert (D)
Majority Whip: Hale Boggs (D)
Democratic Caucus Chairman: Francis E. Walter (D), until May 31, 1963
Albert Richard Thomas (D), from January 21, 1964
Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Michael J. Kirwan (D)
Minority Leader: Charles A. Halleck (R)
Minority Whip: Leslie C. Arends (R)
Conference Chair: Gerald Ford (R)
Policy Committee Chairman: John W. Byrnes (R)
House Democratic Caucus
Senators are popularly elected statewide every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Senators are ordered first by state, and then by seniority. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election.
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Aeronautical and Space Sciences
Agriculture and Forestry
Appropriations
Banking and Currency
Commerce
District of Columbia
Finance
Foreign Relations
Government Operations
Interior and Insular Affairs
Judiciary
Labor and Public Welfare
Post Office and Civil Service
Public Works
Small Business (Select)
Standards and Conduct (Select)
Subcommittee on Internal Security
Whole
Agriculture
Appropriations
Banking and Currency
District of Columbia
Education and Labor
Foreign Affairs
Government Operations
House Administration
Interior and Insular Affairs
Merchant Marine and Fisheries
Post Office and Civil Service
Public Works
Rules
Science and Astronautics
Small Business (Select)
Standards of Official Conduct
Un-American Activities
Veterans' Affairs
Ways and Means
Whole
Atomic Energy
Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
Construction of a Building for a Museum of History and Technology for the Smithsonian
Defense Production
Disposition of Executive Papers
Economic
Immigration and Nationality Policy
Legislative Budget
The Library
Navajo-Hopi Indian Administration
Printing
Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures
Taxation
Architect of the Capitol: J. George Stewart
Attending Physician of the United States Congress: George Calver
Comptroller General of the United States: Joseph Campbell
Librarian of Congress: Lawrence Quincy Mumford
Public Printer of the United States: James L. Harrison
Chaplain: Frederick Brown Harris, Methodist
Parliamentarian:
Charles Watkins
Floyd Riddick
Secretary: Felton McLellan Johnston
Sergeant at Arms: Joseph C. Duke
Clerk: Ralph R. Roberts
Doorkeeper: William Mosley "Fishbait" Miller
Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
Postmaster: H. H. Morris
Sergeant at Arms: Zeake W. Johnson, Jr.
Chaplain: Bernard Braskamp - Presbyterian
