72nd United States Congress
The 72nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1931, to March 4, 1933, during the last two years of Herbert Hoover's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1910 United States census. The Senate had a Republican majority. The House started with a very slim Republican majority, but by the time it first met in December 1931, the Democrats had gained a majority through special elections.Major events
- Ongoing: Great Depression
- January 12, 1932: Hattie Wyatt Caraway of Arkansas became the first woman elected to the United States Senate. Caraway had won a special election to fill the remaining months of the term of her late husband, Senator Thaddeus Caraway. She won re-election to a full term in 1932 and again in 1938 and served in the Senate until January 1945.
- July 28, 1932: Bonus Army was dispersed.
- November 8, 1932: 1932 United States elections:
- * 1932 United States presidential election: Incumbent Republicans Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis lost to Democrats Franklin Roosevelt as President, and John Nance Garner as Vice President.
- * 1932 United States Senate elections: Democrats gained 12 seats for a 59–36 majority.
- * 1932 United States House of Representatives elections: Democrats gained 97 seats for a 313–117 majority.
Major legislation
- January 22, 1932: Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act, Sess. 1, ch. 8,
- February 27, 1932: Glass-Steagall Act of 1932, Sess. 1, ch. 58,
- March 23, 1932: Norris-LaGuardia Act, Sess. 1, ch. 90,
- June 6, 1932: Revenue Act of 1932, Sess. 1, ch. 209,
- June 22, 1932: Federal Kidnapping Act, Sess. 1, ch. 271,
- June 30, 1932: Economy Act of 1932, Sess. 1, ch. 314,
- July 21, 1932: Emergency Relief and Construction Act, Sess. 1, ch. 520,
- July 22, 1932: Federal Home Loan Bank Act, Sess. 1, ch. 522,
- January 17, 1933: Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act, Sess. 2, ch. 11,
- March 3, 1933: Buy American Act, Sess. 2, ch. 212, title III,
Constitutional amendments
- March 2, 1932: Approved an amendment to the United States Constitution moving the beginning and ending of the terms of the president and vice president from March 4 to January 20, and of members of Congress from March 4 to January 3, and also establishing what is to be done when there is no president-elect, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification
- * January 23, 1933: The Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified by the requisite number of states to become part of the Constitution.
- February 20, 1933: Approved an amendment to the U.S. Constitution repealing the Eighteenth Amendment, and submitted it to state ratifying conventions for ratification
- * Amendment was later ratified on December 5, 1933, becoming the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
Party summary
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.Senate
Republicans controlled the Senate through a VP-tie-breaking majority.House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
- President: Charles Curtis
- President pro tempore: George H. Moses
Majority (Republican)
- Majority Leader: James E. Watson
- Majority Whip: Simeon D. Fess
- Republican Conference Secretary: Frederick Hale
- National Senatorial Committee Chair: Daniel O. Hastings
Minority (Democratic)
- Minority Leader: Joseph T. Robinson
- Minority Whip: Morris Sheppard
- Democratic Caucus Secretary: Hugo Black
House of Representatives
- Speaker: John N. Garner
Note: Republican Nicholas Longworth, the Speaker of the House in the previous Congress, was Speaker-presumptive with his party's mere three-seat majority. However, Longworth died on April 9, 1931, and by the time the 72nd Congress convened in December 1931, Democrats had gained four seats from Republicans through special elections following deaths, thus becoming the majority party in the House. Democrat John Garner was subsequently elected as Speaker.Majority (Democratic)
- Majority Leader: Henry T. Rainey
- Majority Whip: John McDuffie
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: William W. Arnold
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Joseph W. Byrns Sr.
Minority (Republican)
- Minority Leader: Bertrand H. Snell
- Minority Whip: Carl G. Bachmann
- Republican Conference Chairman: Willis C. Hawley
- Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: William R. Wood
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.Senate
Senators were elected 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 began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1934; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1936; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1932.Arizona">List of United States senators from Arizona">Arizona
Arkansas">List of United States senators from Arkansas">Arkansas
California">List of United States senators from California">California
Colorado">List of United States senators from Colorado">Colorado
Connecticut">List of United States senators from Connecticut">Connecticut
Delaware">List of United States senators from Delaware">Delaware
Florida">List of United States senators from Florida">Florida
Georgia">List of United States senators from Georgia">Georgia
Idaho">List of United States senators from Idaho">Idaho
Illinois">List of United States senators from Illinois">Illinois
Indiana">List of United States senators from Indiana">Indiana
Iowa">List of United States senators from Iowa">Iowa
Kansas">List of United States senators from Kansas">Kansas
Kentucky">List of United States senators from Kentucky">Kentucky
Louisiana">List of United States senators from Louisiana">Louisiana
Maine">List of United States senators from Maine">Maine
Maryland">List of United States senators from Maryland">Maryland
Massachusetts">List of United States senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
Michigan">List of United States senators from Michigan">Michigan
Minnesota">List of United States senators from Minnesota">Minnesota
Mississippi">List of United States senators from Mississippi">Mississippi
Missouri">List of United States senators from Missouri">Missouri
Montana">List of United States senators from Montana">Montana
Nebraska">List of United States senators from Nebraska">Nebraska
Nevada">List of United States senators from Nevada">Nevada
New Hampshire">List of United States senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
New Jersey">List of United States senators from New Jersey">New Jersey
New Mexico">List of United States senators from New Mexico">New Mexico
New York">List of United States senators from New York">New York
North Carolina">List of United States senators from North Carolina">North Carolina
North Dakota">List of United States senators from North Dakota">North Dakota
Ohio">List of United States senators from Ohio">Ohio
Oklahoma">List of United States senators from Oklahoma">Oklahoma
Oregon">List of United States senators from Oregon">Oregon
Pennsylvania">List of United States senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
Rhode Island">List of United States senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
South Carolina">List of United States senators from South Carolina">South Carolina
South Dakota">List of United States senators from South Dakota">South Dakota
Tennessee">List of United States senators from Tennessee">Tennessee
Texas">List of United States senators from Texas">Texas
Utah">List of United States senators from Utah">Utah
Vermont">List of United States senators from Vermont">Vermont
Virginia">List of United States senators from Virginia">Virginia
Washington">List of United States senators from Washington">Washington
West Virginia">List of United States senators from West Virginia">West Virginia
Wisconsin">List of United States senators from Wisconsin">Wisconsin
Wyoming">List of United States senators from Wyoming">Wyoming
House of Representatives
The names of representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise 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.Arizona">List of United States representatives from Arizona">Arizona
Arkansas">List of United States representatives from Arkansas">Arkansas
California">List of United States representatives from California">California
Colorado">List of United States representatives from Colorado">Colorado
Connecticut">List of United States representatives from Connecticut">Connecticut
Delaware">List of United States representatives from Delaware">Delaware
Florida">List of United States representatives from Florida">Florida
Georgia">List of United States representatives from Georgia">Georgia