74th United States Congress

The 74th 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, 1935, to January 3, 1937, during the third and fourth years of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1930 United States census.

74th United States Congress
73rd ←
→ 75th

January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1937
Members96 senators
435 representatives
5 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityDemocratic
Senate PresidentJohn N. Garner (D)
House majorityDemocratic
House SpeakerJo Byrns (D)
(until June 4, 1936)
William B. Bankhead (D)
(from June 4, 1936)
Sessions
1st: January 3, 1935 – August 26, 1935
2nd: January 3, 1936 – June 20, 1936

The Democrats increased their majorities in both the House and Senate, resulting in a supermajority in both chambers, and along with President Franklin D. Roosevelt maintained an overall federal government trifecta.[1][2]

Major events edit

 
President Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act, at approximately 3:30pm ET on August 14, 1935.[5] Standing with Roosevelt are Rep. Robert Doughton (D-NC); unknown person in shadow; Sen. Robert Wagner (D-NY); Rep. John Dingell Sr. (D-MI); unknown man in bowtie; Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins; Sen. Pat Harrison (D-MS); and Rep. David Lewis (D-MD).

Major legislation edit

Party summary edit

Senate edit

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Farmer–
Labor

(FL)
Wisconsin
Progressive

(P)
Republican
(R)
Other
End of previous congress 60 1 0 35 0 96 0
Begin 68 1 1 25 0 95 1
End 72 22 960
Final voting share 75.0% 1.0% 1.0% 22.9% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 75 2 1 16 1 95 1

House edit

Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Farmer–
Labor

(FL)
Wisconsin
Progressive

(P)
Republican
(R)
Other
End of previous congress 309 5 0 113 0 427 8
Begin 322 3 7 102 0 434 1
End 308 100 41817
Final voting share 73.7% 0.7% 1.7% 23.9% 0.0%
Beginning of next congress 333 5 7 89 1 435 0

Leaders edit

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

Senate edit

Majority (Democratic) leadership edit

Minority (Republican) leadership edit

House of Representatives edit

Majority (Democratic) leadership edit

Minority (Republican) leadership edit

Members edit

Senate edit

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, facing re-election in 1936; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1938; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1940.

 
Percentage of members from each party by state at the opening of the 74th Congress, ranging from dark blue (most Democratic) to dark red (most Republican).

House of Representatives edit

The names of members are preceded by their district numbers.

Changes of membership edit

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.

Senate edit

Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[a]
West Virginia
(1)
Vacant Senator-elect Holt qualified late due to age having not yet been constitutionally old enough to serve. Holt was seated when he turned 30 Rush D. Holt Sr. (D) June 21, 1935
New Mexico
(1)
Bronson M. Cutting (R) Died May 6, 1935.
Successor was appointed to serve until the next election, and was subsequently elected.
Dennis Chavez (D) May 11, 1935
Louisiana
(2)
Huey Long (D) Died September 10, 1935.
Successor was appointed to serve until a special election, and was subsequently elected.
Rose McConnell Long (D) January 31, 1936
Minnesota
(2)
Thomas D. Schall (R) Died December 22, 1935.
Successor was appointed to serve until a special election.
Elmer Austin Benson (FL) December 27, 1935
Florida
(1)
Park Trammell (D) Died May 8, 1936.
Successor was appointed to serve until a special election.
Scott Loftin (D) May 26, 1936
Florida
(3)
Duncan U. Fletcher (D) Died June 17, 1936.
Successor was appointed to serve until a special election.
William Luther Hill (D) July 1, 1936
Iowa
(3)
Richard L. Murphy (D) Died July 16, 1936.
Successor was elected to finish the term.
Guy Gillette (D) November 4, 1936
Michigan
(2)
James J. Couzens (R) Died October 22, 1936.
Successor was appointed to finish the remaining term having already been elected to the next term.
Prentiss M. Brown (D) November 19, 1936
Minnesota
(2)
Elmer Austin Benson (FL) Successor was elected November 3, 1936. Guy V. Howard (R) November 4, 1936
Florida
(1)
Scott Loftin (D) Successor was elected November 3, 1936. Charles O. Andrews (D) November 4, 1936
Florida
(3)
William Luther Hill (D) Successor was elected November 3, 1936. Claude Pepper (D) November 4, 1936
South Dakota
(3)
Peter Norbeck (R) Died December 20, 1936.
Successor was appointed to serve until the next election.
Herbert E. Hitchcock (D) December 29, 1936

House of Representatives edit

House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[a]
Indiana 2nd Vacant Rep.-elect Frederick Landis died before being sworn in Charles A. Halleck (R) January 29, 1935
Rhode Island 1st Francis Condon (D) Resigned January 10, 1935, after being appointed associate justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Charles Risk (R) August 6, 1935
New York 22nd Anthony J. Griffin (D) Died January 13, 1935 Edward W. Curley (D) November 5, 1935
Alabama 1st John McDuffie (D) Resigned March 2, 1935, after being appointed judge in US district court Frank W. Boykin (D) July 30, 1935
Illinois at-large Michael L. Igoe (D) Resigned June 2, 1935, after being appointed a US attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Vacant until the next Congress
Kentucky 4th Cap R. Carden (D) Died June 13, 1935 Edward W. Creal (D) November 5, 1935
Ohio at-large Charles V. Truax (D) Died August 9, 1935 Daniel S. Earhart (D) November 3, 1936
Illinois 23rd William W. Arnold (D) Resigned September 16, 1935, after being appointed a member of the US Board of Tax Appeals Vacant until the next Congress
New York 2nd William F. Brunner (D) Resigned September 27, 1935, after being elected Sheriff of Queens County, New York William B. Barry (D) November 5, 1935
Michigan 3rd Henry M. Kimball (R) Died October 19, 1935 Verner Main (R) December 17, 1935
Washington 6th Wesley Lloyd (D) Died January 10, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress
Philippines Resident Commissioner Francisco A. Delgado (NAC) Resigned February 14, 1936, after a successor qualified in accordance to a new form of government Quintin Paredes (NAC) February 14, 1936
Philippines Resident Commissioner Pedro Guevara (NAC) Resigned February 14, 1936, after the 2nd seat was abolished None
New York 9th Stephen A. Rudd (D) Died March 31, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress
Ohio 11th Mell G. Underwood (D) Resigned April 10, 1936, after being appointed to the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio Peter F. Hammond (D) November 3, 1936
Illinois 12th John T. Buckbee (R) Died April 23, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress
New York 29th William D. Thomas (R) Died May 17, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress
New Jersey 7th Randolph Perkins (R) Died May 25, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress
Massachusetts 6th A. Piatt Andrew (R) Died June 3, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress
Tennessee 5th Jo Byrns (D) Died June 4, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress
Washington 5th Samuel B. Hill (D) Resigned June 25, 1936, after being appointed a member of the US Board of Tax Appeals Vacant until the next Congress
Iowa 2nd Bernhard M. Jacobsen (D) Died June 30, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress
Ohio 9th Warren J. Duffey (D) Died July 7, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress
South Carolina 4th John J. McSwain (D) Died August 6, 1936 Gabriel H. Mahon Jr. (D) November 3, 1936
Washington 1st Marion Zioncheck (D) Died August 7, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress
Kentucky 1st William V. Gregory (D) Died October 10, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress
Iowa 9th Guy Gillette (D) Resigned November 3, 1936, after being elected to the U.S. Senate Vacant until the next Congress
Michigan 11th Prentiss M. Brown (D) Resigned November 18, 1936, after being appointed to the U.S. Senate having already been elected. Vacant until the next Congress
Kentucky 2nd Glover H. Cary (D) Died December 5, 1936 Vacant until the next Congress

Committees edit

Lists of committees and their party leaders for members of the House and Senate committees can be found through the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of this article. The directory after the pages of terms of service lists committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and, after that, House/Senate committee assignments. On the committees section of the House and Senate in the Official Congressional Directory, the committee's members on the first row on the left side shows the chairman of the committee and on the right side shows the ranking member of the committee.

Joint committees edit

Caucuses edit

Employees edit

Legislative branch agency directors edit

Senate edit

House of Representatives edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References edit

  1. ^ Herring, E. Pendleton (1935). "First Session of the Seventy-fourth Congress, January 3, 1935, to August 26, 1935". American Political Science Review. 29 (6): 985–1005. doi:10.2307/1947314. ISSN 0003-0554. JSTOR 1947314. S2CID 147264484.
  2. ^ Altman, O. R. (1936). "Second Session of the Seventy-fourth Congress, January 3, 1936, to June 20, 1936". American Political Science Review. 30 (6): 1086–1107. doi:10.2307/1948290. ISSN 0003-0554. JSTOR 1948290. S2CID 145809315.
  3. ^ "Huey Long Filibusters". senate.gov.
  4. ^ a b "First Official Parliamentarian". senate.gov.
  5. ^ "Social Security History".
  6. ^ Bradley, Phillips (1935). "Current Neutrality Problems—Some Precedents, an Appraisal, and a Draft Statute". American Political Science Review. 29 (6): 1022–1041. doi:10.2307/1947317. ISSN 0003-0554. JSTOR 1947317. S2CID 146983611.
  7. ^ The Vice President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate. See U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 3, Clause 4
  8. ^ 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." Source: Party Whips Archived 2010-03-09 at the Wayback Machine, via Senate.gov