81st United States Congress
The 81st 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, 1949, to January 3, 1951, during the fifth and sixth years of Harry S. Truman's presidency.
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1940 United States census.
The Democrats won back the majority in both chambers, and with the election of President Harry S. Truman to his own full term in office, this gave the Democrats an overall federal government trifecta.Major events
- January 20, 1949: President Harry S. Truman began his second term. Alben W. Barkley began his term as Vice President, which had been vacant since 1945.
- August 16, 1949: Office of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff created
- January 21, 1950: Accused communist spy Alger Hiss was convicted of perjury
- January 31, 1950: President Truman ordered the development of the hydrogen bomb, in response to the detonation of the Soviet Union's first atomic bomb in 1949
- June 1st, 1950: Senator Margaret Smith made the Declaration of Conscience speech as the first refutation of McCarthyism in the Senate.
- June 27, 1950: Korean War: President Truman ordered American military forces to aid in the defense of South Korea
Major legislation
- June 20, 1949: Central Intelligence Agency Act, ch. 227,,
- October 25, 1949: Hospital Survey and Construction Amendments of 1949, ch. 722,,
- October 26, 1949: Fair Labor Standards Amendment, ch. 736,,,
- October 31, 1949: Agricultural Act of 1949, ch. 792,
- May 5, 1950: Uniform Code of Military Justice, ch. 169,
- May 10, 1950: National Science Foundation Act, ch. 171,,,
- August 15, 1950: Omnibus Medical Research Act,,
- September 8, 1950: Defense Production Act of 1950,,
- September 12, 1950: Budget and Accounting Procedures Act of 1950, ch. 946,
- September 23, 1950: McCarran Internal Security Act, ch. 1024,,
- September 30, 1950: Performance Rating Act, ch. 1123,
- December 29, 1950: Celler–Kefauver Act, ch. 1184,
- January 12, 1951: Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, ch. 1228,
Treaties
- July 21, 1949: North Atlantic Treaty ratified, establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Hearings
- May 11, 1950: Kefauver Committee hearings into U.S. organized crime began
Party summary
Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
- President: Vacant until January 20, 1949
- * Alben W. Barkley, from January 20, 1949
- President pro tempore: Kenneth McKellar
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- Majority Leader: Scott W. Lucas
- Majority Whip: Francis J. Myers
- Democratic Caucus Secretary: Brien McMahon
- Policy Committee Chairman: Scott W. Lucas
Minority (Republican) leadership
- Minority Leader: Kenneth S. Wherry
- Minority Whip: Leverett Saltonstall
- Republican Conference Chairman: Eugene Millikin
- Republican Conference Secretary: Milton Young
- National Senatorial Committee Chair: Styles Bridges
- Policy Committee Chairman: Robert A. Taft
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Sam Rayburn
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- Majority Leader: John W. McCormack
- Majority Whip: Percy Priest
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: Francis E. Walter
- Democratic Caucus Secretary: Chase G. Woodhouse
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Michael J. Kirwan
Minority (Republican) leadership
- Minority Leader: Joseph W. Martin Jr.
- Minority Whip: Leslie C. Arends
- Republican Conference Chairman: Roy O. Woodruff
- Policy Committee Chairman: Joseph W. Martin Jr.
- Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Leonard W. Hall
Caucuses
- House Democratic Caucus
- Senate Democratic Caucus
Members
Senate
Senators are popularly elected statewide every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Senators are ordered first by state, and then by seniority. 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 1950; Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1952; and Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1954.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
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
Idaho">List of United States representatives from Idaho">Idaho
Illinois">List of United States representatives from Illinois">Illinois
Indiana">List of United States representatives from Indiana">Indiana
Iowa">List of United States representatives from Iowa">Iowa
Kansas">List of United States representatives from Kansas">Kansas
Kentucky">List of United States representatives from Kentucky">Kentucky
Louisiana">List of United States representatives from Louisiana">Louisiana
Maine">List of United States representatives from Maine">Maine
Maryland">List of United States representatives from Maryland">Maryland
Massachusetts">List of United States representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
Michigan">List of United States representatives from Michigan">Michigan
Minnesota">List of United States representatives from Minnesota">Minnesota
Mississippi">List of United States representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi
Missouri">List of United States representatives from Missouri">Missouri
Montana">List of United States representatives from Montana">Montana
Nebraska">List of United States representatives from Nebraska">Nebraska
Nevada">List of United States representatives from Nevada">Nevada