The Ninety-first 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, 1969 to January 3, 1971, during the first two years of the first administration of U.S. President Richard Nixon.
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Eighteenth Census of the United States in 1960. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
December 30, 1969: Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, Pub.L. 91–173
1969: Tax Reform Act of 1969, Pub.L. 91–172
January 1, 1970: National Environmental Policy Act, Pub.L. 91–190
April 3, 1970: Environmental Quality Improvement Act, Pub.L. 91–224
May 21, 1970: Airport and Airway Development Act, Pub.L. 91–258, title I
August 12, 1970: Postal Reorganization Act (United States Postal Service), Pub.L. 91–375
August 15, 1970: Economic Stabilization Act
September 22, 1970: District of Columbia Delegate Act, Pub.L. 91–405
October 15, 1970: Organized Crime Control Act, Pub.L. 91–452 (including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO")
1970: Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1970, Pub.L. 91–453
October 26, 1970: Bank Secrecy Act, Pub.L. 91–508
October 27, 1970: Controlled Substances Act, Pub.L. 91–513
1970: Rail Passenger Service Act (Amtrak), Pub.L. 91–518
December 24, 1970: Family Planning Services and Population Research Act of 1970, Pub.L. 91–572
December 24, 1970: Plant Variety Protection Act, Pub.L. 91–577
December 29, 1970: Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), Pub.L. 91–596
December 31, 1970: Clean Air Act Extension, Pub.L. 91–604
December 31, 1970: Housing and Urban Development Act of 1970, Pub.L. 91–609, including title VII, National Urban Policy and New Community Development Act of 1970
January 12, 1971: Foreign Military Sales Act of 1971, Pub.L. 91–672
1971: Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act, Pub.L. 91–695
The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
Democratic: 57 (majority)
Republican: 43
TOTAL members: 100
Democratic: 243 (majority)
Republican: 192
TOTAL members: 435
President: Hubert Humphrey (D), until January 20, 1969
Spiro Agnew (R), from January 20, 1969
President pro tempore: Richard Russell, Jr. (D)
Permanent Acting President pro tempore: Lee Metcalf (D)
Majority Leader: Mike Mansfield
Majority Whip: Ted Kennedy
Caucus Secretary: Robert Byrd
Minority Leader: Everett Dirksen, until September 7, 1969
Hugh Scott, from September 24, 1969
Minority Whip: Hugh Scott, until September 24, 1969
Robert P. Griffin, from September 24, 1969
Republican Conference Chairman: Margaret Chase Smith
Republican Conference Secretary: Milton Young
National Senatorial Committee Chair: John Tower
Policy Committee Chairman: Gordon L. Allott
Speaker: John W. McCormack (D)
Majority Leader: Carl Albert
Majority Whip: Hale Boggs
Democratic Caucus Chairman: Dan Rostenkowski
Caucus Secretary: Leonor Sullivan
Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Michael A. Feighan
Minority Leader: Gerald Ford
Minority Whip: Leslie C. Arends
Conference Chair: John B. Anderson
Policy Committee Chairman: John Jacob Rhodes
House Democratic Caucus
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
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 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1970; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1972; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1974.
The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "A/L," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.
Many of 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.
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress
replacements: 3
Democratic: 2 seat net gain
Republican: 2 seat net loss
deaths: 1
resignations: 2
Total seats with changes: 3
replacements: 14
Democratic: 2 seat net gain
Republican: 2 seat net loss
deaths: 10
resignations: 8
Total seats with changes: 18
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Aeronautical and Space Sciences ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Agriculture and Forestry ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Appropriations ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Banking and Currency ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Commerce ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
District of Columbia ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Equal Educational Opportunity (Select) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Finance ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Foreign Relations ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Government Operations ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Interior and Insular Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Judiciary ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Labor and Public Welfare ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Nutrition and Human Needs (Select) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Post Office and Civil Service ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Public Works ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Small Business (Select) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Standards and Conduct (Select) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Whole
Agriculture ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Appropriations ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Banking and Currency ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
District of Columbia ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Education and Labor ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Foreign Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Government Operations ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
House Administration ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Interior and Insular Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Internal Security ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Merchant Marine and Fisheries ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Post Office and Civil Service ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Rules ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Science and Astronautics ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Small Business (Select) ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Standards of Official Conduct ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Transportation and Infrastructure ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Veterans' Affairs ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Ways and Means ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Whole
Atomic Energy ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Congressional Operations ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Defense Production ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Disposition of Executive Papers ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Economic ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Immigration and Nationality Policy ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Legislative Budget ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
The Library ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Navajo-Hopi Indian Administration ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Printing ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
Taxation ([[]], Chair; [[]], Ranking Member)
