109th United States Congress
The 109th 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, 2005, to January 3, 2007, during the fifth and sixth years of George W. Bush's presidency. House members were elected in the 2004 elections on November 2, 2004. Senators were elected in three classes in the 2000 elections on November 7, 2000, 2002 elections on November 5, 2002, or 2004 elections on November 2, 2004. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 2000 United States census.
This is the most recent Congress to feature a Republican senator from Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee, who lost re-election in 2006.
The Republicans maintained control of both the House and the Senate, and with the reelection of President Bush, the Republicans maintained an overall federal government trifecta.
Major events
- January 6, 2005: A joint session to count the presidential Electoral College votes of the 2004 presidential election.
- January 20, 2005 — President George W. Bush began his second term.
- November 7, 2006 — California Representative Nancy Pelosi and Nevada Senator Harry Reid led the Democratic Party in taking control of both the House and the Senate in the 2006 congressional elections, the first time in 12 years the Democrats secure control of both houses of Congress simultaneously.
- Prominent events included the filibuster "nuclear option" scare, the failure of the federal government to promptly respond to Hurricane Katrina disaster relief, the Tom DeLay corruption investigation, Plamegate, the rising unpopularity of the Iraq War, the 2006 immigration reform protests and government involvement in the Terri Schiavo case.
- In addition to the DeLay indictment, this Congress also had a number of scandals: Bob Ney, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, William J. Jefferson, Mark Foley scandal, and the Jack Abramoff scandals.
- This Congress met for 242 days, the fewest since World War II and 12 days fewer than the 80th Congress. As the Congress neared its conclusion, some media commentators labeled this the "Do Nothing Congress", a pejorative originally given to the 80th United States Congress by President Harry Truman, although the number of bills passed by Congress is no measure of its success.
- The President vetoed only one bill, his first veto, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.
Major legislation
Enacted
- February 17, 2005: Class Action Fairness Act of 2005,
- March 21, 2005: Theresa Marie Schiavo's law,
- April 20, 2005: Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act,
- April 27, 2005: Family Entertainment and Copyright Act,
- May 11, 2005: Real ID Act of 2005,
- July 9, 2005: Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005,
- July 29, 2005: Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005,
- August 2, 2005: Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act,
- August 8, 2005: Energy Policy Act of 2005,
- August 10, 2005: Transportation Equity Act of 2005,
- October 26, 2005: Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act,
- December 1, 2005: Caribbean National Forest Act of 2005,
- December 20, 2005: Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005,
- December 22, 2005: Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005,
- December 30, 2005: Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006,
- January 11, 2006: United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act,
- February 8, 2006: Deficit Reduction Act of 2005,
- February 15, 2006: Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act,
- March 8, 2006: USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2006,
- May 17, 2006: Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005,
- May 29, 2006: Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act,
- June 15, 2006: Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005,
- July 24, 2006: Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005,
- July 27, 2006: Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006,
- July 27, 2006: Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act,
- August 17, 2006: Pension Protection Act of 2006,
- September 26, 2006: Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006,
- September 26, 2006: United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act,
- September 29, 2006: Credit Rating Agency Reform Act,
- September 30, 2006: Iran Freedom and Support Act,
- October 4, 2006: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007,
- October 6, 2006: Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006,
- October 6, 2006: Trademark Dilution Revision Act,
- October 13, 2006: Darfur Peace and Accountability Act,
- October 13, 2006: Safe Port Act,, including title VIII, Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006
- October 17, 2006: John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007,
- October 17, 2006: Military Commissions Act of 2006,
- October 26, 2006: Secure Fence Act of 2006,
- November 27, 2006: Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act,
- December 14, 2006: Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006,
- December 19, 2006: Combating Autism Act of 2006,
- December 19, 2006: Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act,
- December 20, 2006: Tax Relief and Health Act of 2006,
- December 20, 2006: Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act,
- December 20, 2006: Stolen Valor Act of 2005,
- January 12, 2007: Johanna's Law,
- January 12, 2007: Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act of 2006,
Proposed, but not enacted
- — Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act
- — Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005
- — Jessica Lunsford Act
- — Border Protection, Anti-terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005
- — Digital Transition Content Security Act
- — Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005
- — Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006
Hearings
- Congressional response to the NSA warrantless surveillance program
Party summary
Senate
The party summary for the Senate remained the same during the entire 109th Congress. On January 16, 2006, Democrat Jon Corzine resigned, but Democrat Bob Menendez was appointed and took Corzine's seat the next day.House of Representatives
Due to resignations and special elections, Republicans lost a net of three seats; Democrats gained one seat; three seats were left vacant; and one seat which was vacant at the beginning of the Congress was filled. 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
- Policy Committee Chairman: Jon Kyl
- Republican Conference Secretary: Kay Bailey Hutchison
- Republican Campaign Committee Chairwoman: Elizabeth Dole
- Chief Deputy Whip: Bob Bennett
Minority (Democratic) leadership
- Minority Leader: Harry Reid
- Minority Whip: Richard Durbin
- Democratic Conference Chairman: Harry Reid
- Policy Committee Chairman: Byron Dorgan
- Democratic Conference Secretary: Debbie Stabenow
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Chuck Schumer
- Steering and Outreach Committee Chair: Hillary Clinton
- Chief Deputy Whip: Barbara Boxer
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Dennis Hastert
Majority (Republican) leadership
- Majority Leader: Tom DeLay, until September 28, 2005
- * Roy Blunt, September 28, 2005 – February 2, 2006
- * John Boehner, from February 2, 2006
- Majority Whip: Roy Blunt
- Senior Chief Deputy Whip: Eric Cantor
- Deputy Whip Team: Kevin Brady
- Assistant Deputy Whip Team: Doc Hastings
- House Rules Committee Chairman: David Dreier
- Republican Conference Chairwoman: Deborah Pryce
- Republican Conference Vice-Chairman: Jack Kingston
- Republican Conference Secretary: John T. Doolittle
- Policy Committee Chairman: John Shadegg, until February 2, 2006
- * Adam Putnam, from February 2, 2006
- Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Tom Reynolds
Minority (Democratic) leadership
- Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi
- Minority Whip: Steny Hoyer
- Senior Chief Deputy Whip: John Lewis
- Minority Deputy Whip Team: Joe Crowley, Diana DeGette, Ron Kind, Ed Pastor, Jan Schakowsky, John Tanner & Maxine Waters
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: Bob Menendez, until January 16, 2006
- * Jim Clyburn, from January 16, 2006
- Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman: Jim Clyburn, until January 16, 2006
- * John Larson, from January 16, 2006
- Assistant to the House Minority Leader: John Spratt
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Rahm Emanuel
- Steering Committee Co-Chairs: Rosa DeLauro, George Miller
Members