82nd United States Congress
The 82nd 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, 1951, to January 3, 1953, during the last two years of President Harry S. Truman's second term in office.
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1940 United States census.
Both chambers had a Democratic majority, and with President Truman, maintained an overall federal government trifecta.
Major events
- March 29, 1951: Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage. On April 5 they were sentenced to receive the death penalty.
- April 11, 1951: President Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur of his Far Eastern commands.
- April 13, 1951: Congress passed a large defense budget 372 votes for the budget and 44 votes against the budget. The budget was intended to help the United States combat communism.
- August 31, 1951: The United States Senate passes the Mutual Security Act by a vote of 61 votes in favor and 5 votes against. The act provided $7.5 billion for foreign military assistance and food aid to America's allies, primarily the United Kingdom. The vote was condemned by the government of the Soviet Union and praised by the government of the United Kingdom.
- September 5, 1951: Treaty of San Francisco: In San Francisco, California, 48 nations signed a peace treaty with Japan to formally end the Pacific War.
- October 24, 1951: President Truman declared an official end to war with Germany.
- November 10, 1951: Direct dial coast-to-coast telephone service began in the United States.
- December 31, 1951: The Marshall Plan expired after distributing more than $13.3 billion USD in foreign aid to rebuild Europe.
- March 29, 1952: President Truman announced that he will not seek reelection.
- June 19, 1952: The Special Forces created.
- July 25, 1952: Puerto Rico became a Commonwealth of the United States, an unincorporated organized territory, with the ratification of its constitution.
- November 4, 1952: 1952 United States presidential election: Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated Democrat Adlai Stevenson
- November 4, 1952: National Security Agency founded.
Major legislation
- October 10, 1951: Mutual Security Act, ch. 479,
- June 27, 1952: Immigration and Nationality Act,
- July 14, 1952: McGuire Act,,
- July 16, 1952: Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act,
- July 16, 1952: Federal Coal Mine Safety Act of 1952,
- July 16, 1952: Wire Fraud Act of 1952,
Constitutional amendments
- February 27, 1951: Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, setting a term limit for election and overall time of service to the office of President of the United States, was ratified by the requisite number of states to become part of the Constitution
Treaties
- March 20, 1952: Treaty of San Francisco ratified
Leadership
Senate
Majority (Democratic) party
- Majority leader: Ernest McFarland
- Majority whip: Lyndon B. Johnson
- Democratic Caucus Secretary: Brien McMahon
- Policy Committee Chairman: Ernest McFarland
Minority (Republican) party
- Minority leader: Kenneth S. Wherry, until November 29, 1951
- * Styles Bridges, from January 8, 1952
- Minority whip: Leverett Saltonstall
- Republican Conference Chairman: Eugene Millikin
- Republican Conference Secretary: Milton Young
- National Senatorial Committee Chair: Owen Brewster
- Policy Committee Chairman: Robert A. Taft
House of Representatives
Majority (Democratic) party
- Majority leader: John W. McCormack
- Majority whip: J. Percy Priest
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: Jere Cooper
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Michael J. Kirwan
Minority (Republican) party
- Minority leader: Joseph W. Martin Jr.
- Minority whip: Leslie C. Arends
- Republican Conference Chairman: Clifford R. Hope
- Policy Committee Chairman: Joseph W. Martin Jr.
- Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Leonard W. Hall
Caucuses
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 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1952; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1954; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1956.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
- Appropriations
- Armed Services
- Banking and Currency
- District of Columbia
- Expenditures in Executive Departments
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- Interior and Insular Affairs
- Interstate and Foreign Commerce
- Judiciary
- Labor and Public Welfare
- Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce
- Post Office and Civil Service
- Public Works
- Remodeling the Senate Chamber
- Rules and Administration
- Small Business
- Subcommittee on Internal Security
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Agriculture
- Appropriations
- Armed Services
- Banking and Currency
- District of Columbia
- Education and Labor
- Expenditures in the Executive Departments
- Foreign Affairs
- House Administration
- Interior and Insular Affairs
- Interstate and Foreign Commerce
- Investigate Campaign Expenditures
- Investigate Foundations and Other Organizations
- Investigate Educational, Training, and Loan Guaranty Programs under the G.I. Bill
- Investigate the Use of Chemicals in Food and Cosmetics
- Katyn Forest Massacre Investigation
- Judiciary
- Merchant Marine and Fisheries
- Post Office and Civil Service
- Public Works
- Rules
- Small Business
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Un-American Activities
- Veterans' Affairs
- Ways and Means
- Whole
Joint committees
- Atomic Energy
- Conditions of Indian Tribes
- Defense Production
- Disposition of Executive Papers
- Economic
- Immigration and Nationality Policy
- Legislative Budget
- The Library
- Navajo-Hopi Indian Administration
- Printing
- Railroad Retirement Legislation
- Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures
- Taxation
Employees
Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States">Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: David Lynn
- Attending Physician of the United States Congress: George Calver
- Comptroller General of the United States: Lindsay C. Warren
- Librarian of Congress: Luther H. Evans
- Public Printer of the United States: John J. Deviny
Senate
- Chaplain: Frederick Brown Harris
- Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins
- Secretary: Leslie Biffle
- Librarian: Richard D. Hupman
- Secretary for the Majority: Felton McLellan Johnston
- Secretary for the Minority: J. Mark Trice
- Sergeant at Arms: Joseph C. Duke
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: Bernard Braskamp
- Clerk: Ralph R. Roberts
- Doorkeeper: William Mosley "Fishbait" Miller
- Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
- Postmaster: Finis E. Scott
- Reading Clerks: George J. Maurer and Alney E. Chaffee
- Sergeant at Arms: Joseph H. Callahan