108th United States Congress
The 108th 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 from January 3, 2003, to January 3, 2005, during the third and fourth years of George W. Bush's presidency.
House members were elected in the 2002 general election on November 5, 2002. Senators were elected in three classes in the 1998 general election on November 3, 1998, 2000 general election on November 7, 2000, or 2002 general election on November 5, 2002. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 2000 United States census.
This is the most recent Congress to have a Democratic senator from South Carolina, Fritz Hollings, who retired at the end of the Congress.
Both chambers had a Republican majority, with the Republicans slightly increasing their edge in the House, and regaining control of the Senate, after party control had switched back and forth during the 107th Congress due to various factors. With President Bush, this gave the Republicans an overall federal government trifecta.
Major events
- February 1, 2003: Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry
- March 20, 2003: 2003 invasion of Iraq began
- April 14, 2003: Human Genome Project was completed
- July 14, 2003: CIA leak scandal began
- May 17, 2004: Same-sex marriage began in Massachusetts
- July 22, 2004: 9/11 Commission issued an initial report of its findings
- September 13, 2004: expiration of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban
- November 2, 2004:
- * 2004 United States presidential election: George W. Bush defeated Democratic challenger, Senator John Kerry from Massachusetts.
- * United States Senate elections, 2004 & United States House of Representatives elections, 2004: Republicans increased their majorities in both houses.
Major legislation
Enacted
- March 11, 2003: Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003,
- April 25, 2003: Clean Diamond Trade Act,
- April 30, 2003: PROTECT Act, including Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act,
- May 27, 2003: United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003,
- May 28, 2003: Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003,
- May 29, 2003: Veterans' Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act of 2003,
- June 25, 2003: Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003,
- September 4, 2003: Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003,
- October 1, 2003: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2004,
- October 28, 2003: Check 21 Act,
- November 5, 2003: Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act,
- December 3, 2003: Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003,
- December 3, 2003: 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act,
- December 4, 2003: Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act,
- December 6, 2003: Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act,
- December 8, 2003: Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act,
- December 12, 2003:Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act,
- December 16, 2003: CAN-SPAM Act,
- March 25, 2004: Unborn Victims of Violence Act,
- June 30, 2004: Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance Reform Act,
- July 7, 2004: GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2004,
- July 21, 2004: Project BioShield Act of 2004,
- October 18, 2004: North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004,
- October 18, 2004: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2005,
- October 20, 2004: Belarus Democracy Act of 2004,
- October 22, 2004: American Jobs Creation Act of 2004,
- October 30, 2004: Crime Victims' Rights Act,
- December 3, 2004: Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act,
- December 3, 2004: Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004,
- December 8, 2004: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005,
- December 10, 2004: Alaska Land Transfer Acceleration Act,
- December 17, 2004: Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act,
Proposed, but not enacted
- : Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003
Party summary
Senate
The party summary for the Senate remained the same during the entire 108th Congress.House of Representatives
Due to resignations and special elections, Republicans lost a net of two seats to the Democrats. All seats were filled though special elections. ''''Leadership
Senate
- President: Dick Cheney
- President pro tempore: Ted Stevens
Majority (Republican) leadership
- Majority Leader: Bill Frist
- Majority Whip: Mitch McConnell
- Republican Conference Chairman: Rick Santorum
- Republican Conference Secretary: Kay Bailey Hutchison
- Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: George Allen
- Policy Committee Chairman: Jon Kyl
- Chief Deputy Whip: Bob Bennett
Minority (Democratic) leadership
- Minority Leader: Tom Daschle
- Minority Whip: Harry Reid
- Policy Committee Chairman: Byron Dorgan
- Democratic Conference Secretary: Barbara Mikulski
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Jon Corzine
- Steering and Outreach Committee Chair: Hillary Clinton
- Chief Deputy Whip: John Breaux
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Dennis Hastert
Majority (Republican) leadership
- Majority Leader: Tom DeLay
- Majority Whip: Roy Blunt
- Chief Deputy Whip: Eric Cantor
- Republican Conference Chairman: Deborah Pryce
- Republican Conference Vice-Chairman: Jack Kingston
- Republican Conference Secretary: John T. Doolittle
- Policy Committee Chairman: Christopher Cox
- Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Tom Reynolds
- House Rules Committee Chairman: David Dreier
Minority (Democratic) leadership
- Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi
- Minority Whip: Steny Hoyer
- Senior Chief Deputy Minority Whip: John Lewis
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: Bob Menendez
- Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman: Jim Clyburn
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Bob Matsui
- Chief Deputy Minority Whips: Joe Crowley, Baron Hill, Ron Kind, Ed Pastor, Max Sandlin, Jan Schakowsky, & Maxine Waters
Members