72nd United States Congress


The 72nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1931, to March 4, 1933, during the last two years of Herbert Hoover's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1910 United States census. The Senate had a Republican majority. The House started with a very slim Republican majority, but by the time it first met in December 1931, the Democrats had gained a majority through special elections.

Major events

Major legislation

Constitutional amendments

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.

Senate

Republicans controlled the Senate through a VP-tie-breaking majority.

Leadership

Senate

Majority (Republican)

Minority (Democratic)

House of Representatives

Note: Republican Nicholas Longworth, the Speaker of the House in the previous Congress, was Speaker-presumptive with his party's mere three-seat majority. However, Longworth died on April 9, 1931, and by the time the 72nd Congress convened in December 1931, Democrats had gained four seats from Republicans through special elections following deaths, thus becoming the majority party in the House. Democrat John Garner was subsequently elected as Speaker.

Majority (Democratic)

Minority (Republican)

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.

Senate

Senators were elected 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, requiring reelection in 1934; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1936; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1932.

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 elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "At-large," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, 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

Senate

  • Replacements: 11
  • * Democratic: 1-seat net loss
  • * Republican: no net change
  • Deaths: 6
  • Resignations: 1
  • Interim appointments: 5
  • '''Total seats with changes: 8'''

House of Representatives

  • Replacements: 23
  • * Democratic: 6 seat net gain
  • * Republican: 6 seat net loss
  • Deaths: 24
  • Resignations: 7
  • Contested election: 1
  • '''Total seats with changes: 32'''

Committees

Senate

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Caucuses

Employees

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

Senate

House of Representatives