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80th United States Congress

(Redirected from Do Nothing Congress)

The 80th 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, 1947, to January 3, 1949, during the third and fourth years of 33rd President Harry S. Truman's administration (1945–1952). The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1940 United States census.

80th United States Congress
79th ←
→ 81st
United States Capitol (1956)
January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949
Members96 senators
435 representatives
3 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityRepublican
Senate PresidentVacant[a]
House majorityRepublican
House SpeakerJoseph W. Martin Jr. (R)
Sessions
1st: January 3, 1947 – December 19, 1947
Special: November 17, 1947 – December 19, 1947
2nd: January 6, 1948 – December 31, 1948
Special: July 26, 1948 – August 7, 1948

The Republicans won the majority in both chambers, marking the first time since the 71st Congress of 1929–1931, that they held full control of Congress, and the first time since the 72nd Congress of 1931–1933, that they held control of either of the two chambers. This also ended a 14-year Democratic overall federal government trifecta period, dating back to the 73rd Congress (1933–1935). This ties with the previous 14-year Republican trifecta from 1897 to 1911 as the longest trifectas of Congress and is the last time, (as of the year 2024), that a trifecta was achieved that lasted longer than a decade.

Although the 80th Congress passed a total of 906 public bills,[1] President Truman nicknamed it during his campaign speeches and remarks as the "Do Nothing Congress" and, during the 1948 elections, campaigned as much against it as against his formal opponent, Thomas E. Dewey of New York. the Republican presidential nominee. The 80th Congress did however pass several significant bills with bipartisan support, most famously the Truman Doctrine (on Greece-Turkey anti-communists aid in developing Cold War with former ally Soviet Union), the Marshall Plan (aid for devastated Europe after World War II), and the Taft–Hartley Act of 1947 on labor relations (over Truman's veto), but it opposed most of Truman's Fair Deal domestic programs bills.

Major events

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See also: 1947 in the United States, 1948 in the United States, and 1949 in the United States

Major legislation

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Main article: List of United States federal legislation, 1901-2001

Constitutional amendments

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Party summary

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House Chaplain Bernard Braskamp delivering the opening prayer for the 80th Congress, 1947

Senate

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Party
(shading shows control) 		Total Vacant
Democratic
(D) 		Progressive
(P)		Republican
(R)
End of previous congress 53 1 42 96 0
Begin 45 0 51 96 0
End
Final voting share 46.9% 0.0% 53.1%
Beginning of next congress 54 0 42 96 0

House of Representatives

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From the beginning to the end of this Congress, there was no net change in party power. The Democrats lost one seat, which remained vacant until the next Congress.

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Republican Democratic American Labor Progressive Vacant
End of previous Congress 191 236 1 1 429 6
Begin 245 187 1 0 433 2
End 242 186 2 430 5
Final voting share 56.7% 43.1% 0.2% 0.0%
Beginning of the next Congress 171 262 1 0 434 1

Leadership

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

Senate

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Majority (Republican) leadership

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Minority (Democratic) leadership

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House of Representatives

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Majority (Republican) leadership

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Minority (Democratic) leadership

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Caucuses

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Members

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Senate

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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, requiring reelection in 1948; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1950; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1952.

 
Percentage of members from each party by state at the opening of the 80th Congress, ranging from dark blue (most Democratic) to dark red (most Republican).

House of Representatives

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The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide at-large, are preceded by an "At-Large", and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.

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.

Changes in membership

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The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress

Senate

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There were three deaths, two resignations, and one lost mid-term election.

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate
Senate changes
State
(class) 		Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[c]
Mississippi
(1) 		Theodore G. Bilbo (D) Died August 21, 1947.
Successor was elected November 17, 1947. 		John C. Stennis (D) November 17, 1947
Louisiana
(3) 		John H. Overton (D) Died May 14, 1948.
Successor was appointed to continue the term. 		William C. Feazel (D) May 18, 1948
South Dakota
(2) 		Harlan J. Bushfield (R) Died September 27, 1948.
Successor was appointed to finish the term. 		Vera C. Bushfield (R) October 6, 1948
South Dakota
(2) 		Vera C. Bushfield (R) Interim appointee resigned December 26, 1948.
Successor was appointed to finish the term. 		Karl E. Mundt (R) December 31, 1948
Louisiana
(3) 		William C. Feazel (D) Interim appointee retired when successor elected.
Successor was elected December 31, 1948. 		Russell B. Long (D) December 31, 1948
North Carolina
(2) 		William B. Umstead (D) Interim appointee lost election to finish the term.
Successor was elected December 31, 1948. 		J. Melville Broughton (D) December 31, 1948

House of Representatives

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There were nine deaths and seven resignations.

See also: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[c]
Alabama
8th 		Vacant John Sparkman resigned in previous Congress after being elected to the US Senate having been re-elected as well. Robert E. Jones Jr. (D) Seated January 28, 1947
Wisconsin
2nd 		Vacant Representative Robert Kirkland Henry died during previous Congress having been previously re-elected. Glenn Robert Davis (R) Seated April 22, 1947
Washington
3rd 		Fred B. Norman (R) Died April 18, 1947 Russell V. Mack (R) Seated June 7, 1947
Pennsylvania
8th 		Charles L. Gerlach (R) Died May 5, 1947 Franklin H. Lichtenwalter (R) Seated September 9, 1947
Maryland
3rd 		Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. (D) Resigned May 16, 1947, after being elected Mayor of Baltimore Edward Garmatz (D) Seated July 15, 1947
Michigan
11th 		Frederick Van Ness Bradley (R) Died May 24, 1947 Charles E. Potter (R) Seated August 26, 1947
Texas
9th 		Joseph J. Mansfield (D) Died July 12, 1947 Clark W. Thompson (D) Seated August 23, 1947
Texas
16th 		R. Ewing Thomason (D) Resigned July 31, 1947, after being appointed as a judge of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas Kenneth M. Regan (D) Seated August 23, 1947
Massachusetts
9th 		Charles L. Gifford (R) Died August 23, 1947 Donald W. Nicholson (R) Seated November 18, 1947
Indiana
10th 		Raymond S. Springer (R) Died August 28, 1947 Ralph Harvey (R) Seated November 4, 1947
Ohio
4th 		Robert Franklin Jones (R) Resigned September 2, 1947, to become a member of the Federal Communications Commission William Moore McCulloch (R) Seated November 4, 1947
New York
14th 		Leo F. Rayfiel (D) Resigned September 13, 1947, having been appointed a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York Abraham J. Multer (D) Seated November 4, 1947
Illinois
21st 		George Evan Howell (R) Resigned October 5, 1947, after being appointed judge of the US Court of Claims Vacant until next Congress
Virginia
4th 		Patrick H. Drewry (D) Died December 21, 1947 Watkins Moorman Abbitt (D) Seated February 17, 1948
New York
24th 		Benjamin J. Rabin (D) Resigned December 31, 1947 Leo Isacson (AL) Seated February 17, 1948
Kentucky
2nd 		Earle Clements (D) Resigned January 6, 1948, to become Governor of Kentucky John A. Whitaker (D) Seated April 17, 1948
Kentucky
9th 		John M. Robsion (R) Died February 17, 1948 William Lewis (R) Seated April 24, 1948
Missouri
10th 		Orville Zimmerman (D) Died April 7, 1948 Paul C. Jones (D) Seated November 2, 1948
Virginia
6th 		J. Lindsay Almond (D) Resigned April 17, 1948, having been elected attorney General of Virginia Clarence G. Burton (D) Seated November 2, 1948
Illinois
7th 		Thomas L. Owens (R) Died June 7, 1948 Vacant until next Congress
Indiana
6th 		Noble J. Johnson (R) Resigned July 1, 1948, after being appointed as judge of US Court of Customs & Patent Appeals Vacant until next Congress
Texas
15th 		Milton H. West (D) Died October 28, 1948 Lloyd Bentsen (D) Seated December 4, 1948
New York
7th 		John J. Delaney (D) Died November 18, 1948 Vacant until next Congress
South Dakota
1st 		Karl E. Mundt (R) Resigned December 30, 1948, after being appointed to the U.S. Senate having already been elected. Vacant until next Congress

Committees

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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.

Senate

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House of Representatives

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Joint committees

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Employees

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Legislative branch agency directors

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Senate

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House of Representatives

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See also

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Explanatory notes

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  1. ^ President pro tempore Arthur Vandenberg, U.S. Senator from Michigan acted his duties as the President of the Senate.
  2. ^ The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is the Minnesota affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party and are counted as Democrats.
  3. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

Citations

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  1. ^ "Résumé of Congressional Activity Eightieth Congress" (PDF). United States Senate.
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