84th United States Congress
The 84th 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, 1955, to January 3, 1957, during the third and fourth years of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1950 United States census.
The Democratic Party won back majorities in both the House and Senate, thus giving them full control of Congress, although Republican Party briefly won the Senate after the last congressional session. The Democratic Party would continue to hold onto its house majority until the 104th Congress.
Major events
- January 28, 1955: Congress authorized the president to use force to protect Taiwan from the People's Republic of China
- February 10, 1955: The United States Navy helped the Republic of China evacuate Chinese Nationalist army and residents from the Tachen Islands to Taiwan.
- February 12, 1955: President Eisenhower sent the first U.S. advisers to South Vietnam.
- July 2, 1955: Senator Lyndon Johnson, Majority Leader of the United States Senate, suffered a major heart attack.
- September 24, 1955: President Eisenhower suffered a coronary thrombosis.
- November 5, 1955: Racial segregation was forbidden on trains and buses in U.S. interstate commerce.
- December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white person.
- December 5, 1955: The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to become the AFL–CIO.
- March 12, 1956: 96 Congressmen signed the Southern Manifesto, a protest against the 1954 Supreme Court ruling desegregating public education.
- November 6, 1956: United States elections, 1956:
- * 1956 United States presidential election: Republican incumbent Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated Democratic challenger Adlai E. Stevenson in a rematch of their contest four years earlier.
- * United States Senate elections, 1956: The party balance of the chamber remained unchanged as Republican and Democratic gains cancelled each other.
- * United States House of Representatives elections, 1956: Republicans lost a net of two seats to the majority Democrats.
Major legislation
- January 29, 1955: Formosa Resolution
- March 31, 1955: Career Incentive Act
- June 28, 1955: Flood Control and Coastal Emergency Act,,
- July 11, 1955: To provide that all United States currency shall bear the inscription "In God We Trust",,,
- July 14, 1955: Air Pollution Control Act,, ch. 360,
- July 23, 1955: Multiple Surface Use Mining Act,, ch. 730,
- August 9, 1955: Reserve Forces Act,,
- August 11, 1955: National Housing Act,,
- August 12, 1955: Poliomyelitis Vaccination Assistance Act,, ch. 863,
- April 11, 1956: Colorado River Storage Project Act,
- June 29, 1956: Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956,,
- July 30, 1956: Health Research Facilities Act,, ch. 779,
- August 8, 1956: Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, ch. 1036,,
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.The independent Wayne Morse, who caucused with Republicans in the second session of the previous Congress, began caucusing with the Democrats at the start of this Congress before ultimately becoming a Democrat himself.
Democrats would briefly lose control of the Senate after the last congressional session.
Leadership
Senate
FIle:VP-Nixon.png|thumb|175px|Senate PresidentRichard Nixon
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- Majority Leader and Democratic Conference chairman: Lyndon B. Johnson
- Majority Whip: Earle Clements
- Democratic Caucus Secretary: Thomas C. Hennings Jr.
Minority (Republican) leadership
- Minority Leader: William Knowland
- Minority Whip: Leverett Saltonstall
- Republican Conference chairman: Eugene Millikin
- Republican Conference Secretary: Milton Young
- National Senatorial Committee Chair: Barry Goldwater
- Policy Committee Chairman: Styles Bridges
House of Representatives
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- Majority Leader: John W. McCormack
- Majority Whip: Carl Albert
- Democratic Caucus chairman: John J. Rooney
- Democratic Caucus Secretary: Edna F. Kelly
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Michael J. Kirwan
Minority (Republican) leadership
- 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: Richard M. Simpson
Caucuses
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state.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 began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1958; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, facing re-election in 1960; and Class 3 meant their term ended with 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
New Mexico">List of United States representatives from New Mexico">New Mexico
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.North Dakota">List of United States representatives from North Dakota">North Dakota
Both representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.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.Senate
- Replacements: 3
- * Democratic: 1 net loss
- * Independent Democratic: 1 net loss
- * Republican: 2 net gain
- Deaths: 2
- Resignations: 1
- Interim appointments: 3
- Total seats with changes: 3
House of Representatives
- Replacements: 5
- * Democratic: no net change
- * Republican: no net change
- Deaths: 9
- Resignations: 3
- Total seats with changes: 12
Committees
Senate
- Agriculture and Forestry
- Appropriations
- Armed Services
- Banking and Currency
- Contribution Investigation
- District of Columbia
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- Foreign Aid Program
- Government Operations
- Interior and Insular Affairs
- Interstate and Foreign Commerce
- Judiciary
- Labor and Public Welfare
- Political Activities, Lobbying and Campaign Contributions
- Post Office and Civil Service
- Public Works
- Rules and Administration
- Senate Reception Room
- Small Business
- Whole
House of Representatives
- Agriculture
- Appropriations
- Armed Services
- Banking and Currency
- Benefits for Dependents of Armed Services Veterans
- Defense Production
- District of Columbia
- Education and Labor
- Foreign Affairs
- Government Operations
- House Administration
- Investigate the Incorporation of the Baltic States into the U.S.S.R.
- Interior and Insular Affairs
- Interstate and Foreign Commerce
- 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
- Construction of a Building for a Museum of History and Technology for the Smithsonian
- Defense Production
- Disposition of Executive Papers
- Economic
- Immigration and Nationality Policy
- Legislative Budget
- The Library
- Navajo-Hopi Indian Administration
- Printing
- 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: 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: Raymond Blattenberger
Senate
- Chaplain: Frederick Brown Harris, Methodist
- Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins
- Secretary: Felton McLellan Johnston
- Librarian: Richard D. Hupman
- Secretary for the Majority: Robert G. Baker
- Secretary for the Minority: J. Mark Trice
- Sergeant at Arms: Joseph C. Duke
House of Representatives
- Clerk: Ralph R. Roberts
- Sergeant at Arms: Zeake W. Johnson Jr.
- Doorkeeper: William Mosley "Fishbait" Miller
- Postmaster: H. H. Morris
- Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
- Reading Clerks: George J. Maurer and Alney E. Chaffee
- Chaplain: Bernard Braskamp