75th United States Congress
The 75th 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, 1937, to January 3, 1939, during the fifth and sixth years of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency.
The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1930 [United States census].
Both chambers had a Democratic supermajority, with the party increasing their majority in both the House and Senate, and with the reelection of President Roosevelt, maintained an overall federal government trifecta.
This is the most recent Congress to feature a 3/4th majority in the House or Senate by either party.
Major events
- January 20, 1937: President Franklin D. Roosevelt begins his second term.
- February 5, 1937: Roosevelt's court-packing plan proposed
- March 26, 1937: William Henry Hastie becomes the first African-American appointed to a federal judgeship.
- April 12, 1937: National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation: The Supreme Court of the United States ruled the National Labor Relations Act constitutional.
- July 22, 1937: Senate rejects the court-packing plan
- October 5, 1937: Roosevelt delivers the Quarantine Speech
Major legislation
- May 1, 1937: Neutrality Acts of 1937
- June 3, 1937: Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act, ch. 296,
- August 2, 1937: Marihuana Tax Act of 1937
- August 5, 1937: National Cancer Institute Act,, ch. 565,
- March 21, 1938: Wheeler–Lea Act, ch. 49,
- May 11, 1938: Indian Mineral Leasing Act, ch. 198
- May 24, 1938: La Follette–Bulwinkle Act, ch. 267,
- June 8, 1938: Foreign Agents Registration Act, ch. 327,
- June 21, 1938: Natural Gas Act, ch. 556,
- June 25, 1938: Civil Aeronautics Act, ch. 601,
- June 25, 1938: Fair Labor Standards Act, ch. 676,
- June 25, 1938: Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, ch. 675,
- June 25, 1938: Wagner-O'Day Act, ch. 697,
Leadership
Senate
- President of [the United States Senate|President]: John N. Garner
- President pro tempore: Key Pittman
- Majority Leader: Joseph Taylor Robinson, until July 14, 1937
- * Alben W. Barkley, from July 14, 1937
- Majority Whip: J. Hamilton Lewis
- Minority Leader: Charles McNary
- Democratic Conference Secretary|Democratic Caucus Secretary]: Joshua B. Lee
- Republican Conference Secretary: Frederick Hale
- National Senatorial Committee Chairman: John G. Townsend Jr.
House of Representatives
- Speaker: William B. Bankhead
- Majority Leader: Sam Rayburn
- Minority Leader: Bertrand Snell
- Democratic Whip: Patrick J. Boland
- Republican Whip: Harry Lane Englebright
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: Robert L. Doughton
- Republican Conference Chairman: Roy O. Woodruff
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Patrick H. Drewry
- Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Joseph W. Martin Jr.
Members
Senate
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 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1938; Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1940; and Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1942.Florida">List of United States senators from Florida">Florida
Louisiana">List of United States senators from Louisiana">Louisiana
Montana">List of United States senators from Montana">Montana
North Dakota">List of United States senators from North Dakota">North Dakota
Tennessee">List of United States senators from Tennessee">Tennessee
House of Representatives
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.Florida">List of United States representatives from Florida">Florida
Louisiana">List of United States representatives from Louisiana">Louisiana
Montana">List of United States representatives from Montana">Montana
North Dakota">List of United States representatives from North Dakota">North Dakota
Tennessee">List of United States representatives from Tennessee">Tennessee
Wyoming">List of United States representatives from Wyoming">Wyoming
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.Committees
Senate
- Agriculture and Forestry
- Aquatic Life
- Appropriations
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
- Banking and Currency
- Campaign Expenditures Investigation
- Civil Service
- Civil Service Laws
- Civil Service System
- Claims
- Commerce
- Court Reorganization and Judicial Procedure
- District of Columbia
- Education and Labor
- * Investigation Violations of Free Speech and the Rights of Labor
- Enrolled Bills
- Executive Agencies of the Government
- Expenditures in Executive Departments
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- Government Organization
- Immigration
- Indian Affairs
- Insular Affairs
- Interoceanic Canals
- Interstate Commerce
- Irrigation and Reclamation
- Judiciary
- Library
- Lobbying Activities
- Manufactures
- Military Affairs
- Mines and Mining
- Mississippi Flood Control Project
- Merchant Marine
- Naval Affairs
- Patents
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Printing
- Privileges and Elections
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Lands and Surveys
- Rules
- Senatorial Campaign Expenditures
- Taxation of Government Securities and Salaries
- Territories and Insular Affairs
- Unemployment and Relief
- Whole
- Wildlife Resources
- Wool Production
House of Representatives
- Accounts
- Agriculture
- Appropriations
- Banking and Currency
- Census
- Civil Service
- Claims
- Coinage, Weights and Measures
- Conservation of Wildlife Resources
- Disposition of Executive Papers
- District of Columbia
- Education
- Election of the President, Vice President and Representatives in Congress
- Elections No.#1
- Elections No.#2
- Elections No.#3
- Enrolled Bills
- Expenditures in the Executive Departments
- Flood Control
- Foreign Affairs
- Government Organization
- Immigration and Naturalization
- Indian Affairs
- Insular Affairs
- Interstate and Foreign Commerce
- Invalid Pensions
- Investigate Real Estate Beholder's Reorganizations
- Irrigation and Reclamation
- Judiciary
- Labor
- Library
- Memorials
- Merchant Marine and Fisheries
- Military Affairs
- Mines and Mining
- Naval Affairs
- Patents
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Printing
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Lands
- Revision of Laws
- Rivers and Harbors
- Roads
- Rules
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Territories
- War Claims
- Ways and Means
- World War Veterans' Legislation
- Whole
Joint committees
- Conditions of Indian Tribes
- Disposition of Executive Papers
- Forestry
- Government Organization
- Hawaii
- The Library
- To Investigate Phosphate Resource of the United States
- Printing
- Taxation
- Tax Evasion and Avoidance
- Tennessee Valley Authority
Caucuses
Employees
Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress">Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: David Lynn
- Attending Physician of the United States Congress: George Calver
- Librarian of Congress: Herbert Putnam
- Public Printer of the United States: Augustus E. Giegengack
Senate
- Chaplain: Reverend ZeBarney Thorne Phillips
- Parliamentarian: Charles L. Watkins
- Secretary: Edwin Alexander Halsey
- Librarian: Ruskin McArdle
- Sergeant at Arms: Chesley W. Jurney
- Democratic Party Secretary: Leslie Biffle
- Republican Party Secretary: Carl A. Loeffler