88th United States Congress

The 88th 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, 1963, to January 3, 1965, during the final months of the presidency of John F. Kennedy, and the first years of the presidency of his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1960 [United States census], and the number of members was again 435.
Both chambers maintained a Democratic majority - including a filibuster-proof supermajority in the Senate - and with President Kennedy, the Democrats maintained an overall federal government trifecta.
To date, this is the earliest Congress with members still living: Don Fuqua, Alec G. Olson, and William J. Green III.

Major events

November 22, 1963: Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson became President of the United States on the death of President John F. Kennedy.
March 30 – June 10, 1964: The longest filibuster in the history of the Senate was waged against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, with 57 days of debate over a 73-day period. It ended when the Senate voted 71–29 to invoke cloture, with the filibuster carried out by southern members of the Democratic Party, the first successful cloture motion on a civil rights bill.
August 2–4, 1964: Gulf of Tonkin Incident
November 3, 1964: President Lyndon Johnson is elected to a full term in the 1964 United States Presidential election, defeating Republican nominee Barry Goldwater.

Major legislation

June 10, 1963: Equal Pay Act,
October 17, 1963: Department of Defense Appropriations Act,
October 31, 1963: Community Mental Health Centers Act,, title II, including Mental Retardation Facilities Construction Act
December 17, 1963: Clean Air Act,
July 2, 1964: Civil Rights Act of 1964,
July 9, 1964: Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964,
August 7, 1964: Tonkin Gulf Resolution,
August 20, 1964: Economic Opportunity Act of 1964,
August 31, 1964: Food Stamp Act of 1964,
September 3, 1964: Wilderness Act,
September 4, 1964: Nurse Training Act,
1964: Library Services and Construction Act

Constitutional amendments

January 23, 1964: Twenty-fourth Amendment to [the United States Constitution], prohibiting both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax, was ratified by the requisite number of states to become part of the Constitution

Leadership

Senate

President: Lyndon B. Johnson, until November 22, 1963; thereafter vacant
President pro tempore: Carl Hayden
Permanent Acting President pro tempore: Lee Metcalf, from June 15, 1963

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Minority (Republican) leadership

House of Representatives

Speaker: John W. McCormack

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Majority Leader: Carl Albert
Majority Whip: Hale Boggs
Democratic Caucus Chairman: Francis E. Walter, until May 31, 1963
* Albert Thomas, from January 21, 1964
Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Michael J. Kirwan

Minority (Republican) leadership

Caucuses

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 class. 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, requiring reelection in 1964; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1966; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1968.

Delaware">List of United States senators from Delaware">Delaware

Kansas">List of United States senators from Kansas">Kansas

Mississippi">List of United States senators from Mississippi">Mississippi

New York">List of United States senators from New York">New York

South Carolina">List of United States senators from South Carolina">South Carolina

West Virginia">List of United States senators from West Virginia">West Virginia

House of Representatives

Delaware">List of United States representatives from Delaware">Delaware

Kansas">List of United States representatives from Kansas">Kansas

Mississippi">List of United States representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi

New York">List of United States representatives from New York">New York

South Carolina">List of United States representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina

West Virginia">List of United States representatives from West Virginia">West Virginia

Committees

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Employees

Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress">Legislative branch agency directors

Architect of the Capitol: J. George Stewart
Attending Physician of the United States Congress: George Calver
Comptroller General of the United States: Joseph Campbell
Librarian of Congress: Lawrence Quincy Mumford
Public Printer of the United States: James L. Harrison

Senate

Chaplain: Frederick Brown Harris, Methodist
Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins, until 1964
* Floyd Riddick, from 1964
Secretary: Felton McLellan Johnston
Librarian: Richard D. Hupman
Secretary for the Majority: Robert G. Baker, until 1963
* Francis R. Valeo, from 1963
Secretary for the Minority: J. Mark Trice
Sergeant at Arms: Joseph C. Duke