74th United States Congress

The 74th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from January 3, 1935, to January 3, 1937, during the third and fourth years of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1930 United States census.
The Democrats increased their majorities in both the House and Senate, resulting in a supermajority in both chambers, and along with President Franklin D. Roosevelt maintained an overall federal government trifecta.

Major events

April 14, 1935: Dust Bowl: The great dust storm hit eastern New Mexico, Colorado, and western Oklahoma
May 6, 1935: Executive Order 7034 created the Works Progress Administration.
May 27, 1935: Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States: the U.S. Supreme Court declared the National Industrial Recovery Act unconstitutional
June 12, 1935 – June 13, 1935: Senator Huey Long gave the second longest filibuster speech in Senate history up to that time, 15 hours and 30 minutes to retain a provision, opposed by President Franklin Roosevelt, requiring Senate confirmation for the National Recovery Administration's senior employees.
July 1, 1935: Charles Watkins was appointed as the first officially recognized Parliamentarian of the United States Senate.
September 10, 1935: Senator Huey Long of Louisiana died, as the result of being shot by an assassin on September 8.
March 1, 1936: Construction of Hoover Dam was completed.
March 2, 1936: Judge Halsted L. Ritter impeached by the U.S. House
April 17, 1936: Judge Halsted L. Ritter convicted by the U.S. Senate
June 4, 1936: Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Jo Byrns died. William B. Bankhead was then elected later that day.
November 3, 1936: General elections
* President: Franklin D. Roosevelt was reelected with 60.8% of the vote over Alf Landon.
* Senate: Democrats gained 5 net seats during the election, and in combination with Democratic and Farmer–Labor interim appointments and the defection of George W. Norris from the Republican Party to become independent, the Republicans were reduced to 16 seats, the most lopsided Senate since Reconstruction.
* House: Democrats gained twelve more net seats from the Republicans, bringing them above a three-fourths majority. This was the largest majority since Reconstruction. The last time a party won so decisively was in 1866.
November 25, 1936: Abraham Lincoln Brigade sailed from New York City on its way to the Spanish Civil War

Major legislation

April 27, 1935: Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, Sess. 1, ch. 85,
July 5, 1935: Labor Relations Act, Sess. 1, ch. 372,
August 9, 1935: Motor Carrier Act, Sess. 1, ch. 498,
August 14, 1935: Social Security Act, including Aid to Dependent Children, Old Age Pension Act,, Sess. 1, ch. 531,
August 23, 1935: Banking Act of 1935
August 26, 1935: Public Utility Act, Sess. 1, ch. 687,
August 30, 1935: Revenue Act of 1935, Sess. 1, ch. 829,
August 31, 1935: Neutrality Act of 1935, Sess. 1, ch. 837,
February 29, 1936: Neutrality Act of 1936, Sess. 2, ch. 106,
May 20, 1936: Rural Electrification Act, Sess. 2, ch. 432,
June 15, 1936: Commodity Exchange Act, Sess. 2, ch. 545,
June 19, 1936: Robinson Patman Act, Sess. 2, ch. 592,
June 22, 1936: Flood Control Act of 1936,, Sess. 2, ch. 688
June 29, 1936: Merchant Marine Act, Sess. 2, ch. 250,
June 30, 1936: Walsh–Healey Public Contracts Act, Sess. 2, ch. 881,

Leaders

Senate

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Minority (Republican) leadership

House of Representatives

Speaker: Jo Byrns, died June 4, 1936
*William B. Bankhead, elected June 4, 1936

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Majority leader:
* William B. Bankhead, until June 4, 1936
* John J. O'Connor
Majority whip: Patrick J. Boland
Democratic Caucus Chairman: Edward T. Taylor
Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Patrick H. Drewry

Minority (Republican) leadership

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 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1936; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1938; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1940.

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 of membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.

Committees

Senate

Agriculture and Forestry
Air Mail and Ocean Mail Contracts
Appropriations
Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
Banking and Currency
Bankruptcy and Receiveship
Campaign Expenditures Investigation
Civil Service
Claims
Commerce
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
Immigration
Indian Affairs
Interoceanic Canals
Interstate Commerce
Irrigation and Reclamation
Judiciary
Land and Water Policies of the United States
Library
Lobbying Activities
Manufactures
Military Affairs
Mines and Mining
Mississippi Flood Control Project
Naval Affairs
Patents
Pensions
Philippines Economic Condition
Post Office and Post Roads
Presidential and Senatorial Campaign Expenditures
Printing
Privileges and Elections
Public Buildings and Grounds
Public Lands and Surveys
Rules
Silver
Territories and Insular Affairs
Virgin Islands
Whole
Wildlife Resources
Wool Production

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Conditions of Indian Tribes
Disposition of (Useless) Executive Papers
The Library
Printing
Taxation

Caucuses

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: John R. McCarl, until June 30, 1936
* vacant thereafter
Librarian of Congress: Herbert Putnam
Public Printer of the United States: Augustus E. Giegengack

Senate

Secretary: Edwin A. Halsey
Librarian: Ruskin McArdle
Chaplain: ZeBarney Thorne Phillips
Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins, from 1935
Sergeant at Arms: Chesley W. Jurney
Democratic Party Secretary: Leslie Biffle
Republican Party Secretary: Carl A. Loeffler

House of Representatives

Clerk: South Trimble
Doorkeeper: Joseph J. Sinnott
Postmaster: Finis E. Scott
Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
Reading Clerks: Patrick Joseph Haltigan and Alney E. Chaffee
Sergeant at Arms: Kenneth Romney
Chaplain: James Shera Montgomery - Methodist