95th United States Congress

The 95th 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, 1977, to January 3, 1979, during the final weeks of Gerald Ford's presidency and the first two years of Jimmy Carter's presidency.

The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1970 United States census. Both chambers maintained a Democratic supermajority, and with Jimmy Carter being sworn in as president on January 20, 1977, this gave the Democrats an overall federal government trifecta for the first time since the 90th Congress ending in 1969.

As of 2022, this was the most recent Congress to approve an amendment (the unratified District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment) to the Constitution. This is the last time the Democratic Party or any political party held a 2/3 supermajority in the House.

This is the last congress to at any point have no female senators (from its beginning, January 3, 1977, until the swearing-in of Muriel Humphrey (D-MN) on January 25, 1978; and again from the departure of both Humphrey and Maryon Allen (D-AL) on November 7, 1978, to the early swearing-in of Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) on December 23, 1978).[1]

Major events

• 1977 was the last year to have men serving as all 100 U.S senators
• January 20, 1977: Inauguration of President Jimmy Carter
• July 13, 1977: New York City blackout of 1977
• January 1, 1978: The Northern Mariana Islands left the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands to become a Commonwealth of the United States, making it unincorporated and organized.
• February 8, 1978: Senate proceedings are broadcast on radio for the first time.
• August 7, 1978: Love Canal Disaster
• September 17, 1978: Camp David Accords

Hearings

• Project MKULTRA – (Church Committee, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Human Resources subcommittee on Health and Scientific Research)

Major legislation

• August 3, 1977: Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–87, 91 Stat. 445
• August 4, 1977: Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–91, 91 Stat. 565
• October 7, 1977: Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–124, 91 Stat. 1098
• October 12, 1977: Community Reinvestment Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–128, title VIII, 91 Stat. 1147
• November 23, 1977: Saccharin Study and Labeling Act of 1977, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–203, 91 Stat. 1451
• December 27, 1977: Clean Water Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–217, 91 Stat. 1566
• December 28, 1977: International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–223, title II, 91 Stat. 1626
• February 6, 1978: Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act of 1977, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–225, 92 Stat. 7
• March 10, 1978: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–242, 92 Stat. 120
• October 10, 1978: Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin Act of 1979, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–447, 92 Stat. 1072
• October 12, 1978: Inspector General Act of 1978, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–452, 92 Stat. 1101
• October 13, 1978: Civil Service Reform Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–454, 92 Stat. 1111
• October 24, 1978: Airline Deregulation Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–504, 92 Stat. 1705
• October 25, 1978: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–511, 92 Stat. 1783
• October 26, 1978: Ethics in Government Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–521, 92 Stat. 1824
• October 27, 1978: Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–523, 92 Stat. 1887
• October 31, 1978: Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–555, 92 Stat. 2076
• November 1, 1978: Contract Disputes Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–563, 92 Stat. 2383
• November 4, 1978: Solar Photovoltaic Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1978, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–590, 92 Stat. 2513
• November 6, 1978: Bankruptcy Act of 1978, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–598, 92 Stat. 2549
• November 8, 1978: Indian Child Welfare Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–608, 92 Stat. 3069
• November 8, 1978: Amateur Sports Act of 1978 Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–606, 92 Stat. 3045
• November 9, 1978: National Energy Conservation Policy Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 95–619, 92 Stat. 3206

Constitutional amendments

• August 22, 1978: Approved an amendment to the United States Constitution granting the District of Columbia full representation in the United States Congress, full representation in the Electoral College system, and full participation in the process by which the Constitution is amended, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification
  • This amendment, commonly known as the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, was later rendered inoperative, as it was not ratified within the seven–year time frame set by Congress.

Treaties ratified

• March 16, 1978: First of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties (Panama Canal) treaty: "The Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal", commonly known as the "Neutrality Treaty"
• April 19, 1978: Second of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties treaty, commonly known as "The Panama Canal Treaty"

Party summary

Senate

House of Representatives

Leadership

Senate

• President: Nelson Rockefeller (R), until January 20, 1977
  • Walter Mondale (D), from January 20, 1977
• President pro tempore: James Eastland (D)
• Permanent Acting President pro tempore: Lee Metcalf (D), until January 12, 1978
• Deputy President pro tempore: Hubert Humphrey (D), until January 13, 1978

Majority (Democratic) leadership

• Majority Leader: Robert Byrd
• Majority Whip: Alan Cranston
• Democratic Caucus Secretary: Daniel Inouye
• Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Wendell Ford

Minority (Republican) leadership

• Minority Leader: Howard Baker
• Minority Whip: Ted Stevens
• Republican Conference Chairman: Carl Curtis
• Republican Conference Secretary: Clifford Hansen
• National Senatorial Committee Chair: Bob Packwood
• Policy Committee Chairman: John Tower

House of Representatives

• Speaker: Tip O'Neill (D)

Majority (Democratic) leadership

• Majority Leader: Jim Wright
• Majority Whip: John Brademas
• Chief Deputy Majority Whip: Dan Rostenkowski
• Democratic Caucus Chairman: Tom Foley
• Democratic Caucus Secretary: Shirley Chisholm
• Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: James C. Corman

Minority (Republican) leadership

• Minority Leader: John Jacob Rhodes
• Minority Whip: Robert H. Michel
• Republican Conference Chairman: John B. Anderson
• Republican Conference Vice-Chairman: Samuel L. Devine
• Republican Conference Secretary: Jack Edwards
• Policy Committee Chairman: Del M. Clawson
• Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Guy Vander Jagt

Caucuses

• Congressional Black Caucus
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus
• Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues
• House Democratic Caucus
• Senate Democratic Caucus

Members

Senate

In this Congress, Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1978; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1980; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1982.

House of Representatives

Members of the House of Representatives elected statewide at-large, are preceded by "At-large", and the names of those elected from districts, are preceded by their district numbers.

Many of the congressional district numbers are linked to articles describing the district itself. Since the boundaries of the districts have changed often and substantially, the linked article may only describe the district as it exists today, and not as it was at the time of this Congress.

Changes in membership

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

Senate

• Replacements: 11
  • Democratic: 3 seat net loss
  • Republican: 3 seat net gain
• Deaths: 4
• Resignations: 5
• Vacancy: 0
• Total seats with changes: 9

House of Representatives

• Replacements: 6
  • Democratic: 4 seat net loss
  • Republican: 4 seat net gain
• Deaths: 6
• Resignations: 21
• Contested election: 0
• Total seats with changes: 25

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders for members of the House and Senate committees can be found through the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of this article. The directory after the pages of terms of service lists committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and, after that, House/Senate committee assignments. On the committees section of the House and Senate in the Official Congressional Directory, the committee's members on the first row on the left side shows the chairman of the committee and on the right side shows the ranking member of the committee.

Joint committees

• Atomic Energy (Chair: Vacant; Vice Chair: Sen. Henry M. Jackson)
• Congressional Operations (Chair: Sen. Lee Metcalf; Vice Chair: Rep. Jack Brooks)
• Defense Productions (Chair: Sen. William Proxmire; Vice Chair: Rep. Parren Mitchell)
• Economic (Chair: Rep. Richard Walker Bolling; Vice Chair: Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey)
• Taxation (Chair: Rep. Al Ullman; Vice Chair: Sen. Russell B. Long)
• The Library (Chair: Rep. Lucien Nedzi; Vice Chair: Sen. Howard Cannon)
• Printing (Chair: Sen. Howard Cannon; Vice Chair: Rep. Frank Thompson Jr.)

Employees

Legislative branch agency directors

• Architect of the Capitol: George M. White
• Attending Physician of the United States Congress: Freeman H. Cary
• Comptroller General of the United States: Elmer B. Staats
• Director of the Congressional Budget Office: Alice M. Rivlin
• Librarian of Congress: Daniel J. Boorstin
• Public Printer of the United States: Thomas F. McCormick, until 1977
  • John J. Boyle, from 1977

Senate

• Chaplain: Edward L.R. Elson (Presbyterian)
• Curator: James R. Ketchum
• Historian: Richard A. Baker
• Parliamentarian: Murray Zweben
• Secretary: Francis R. Valeo, until March 31, 1977
  • J. Stanley Kimmitt, from March 31, 1977
• Librarian: Roger K. Haley
• Sergeant at Arms: Frank "Nordy" Hoffman
• Secretary for the Majority: J. Stanley Kimmitt, until March 31, 1977
  • James H. Duffy, from March 31, 1977
• Secretary for the Minority: William Hildenbrand

House of Representatives

• Chaplain: Edward G. Latch (Methodist)
• Clerk: Edmund L. Henshaw Jr.
• Doorkeeper: James T. Molloy
• Parliamentarian: William Holmes Brown
• Reading Clerks: Bob Berry (R), Charles W. Hackney Jr. (D)
• Postmaster: Robert V. Rota
• Sergeant at Arms: Kenneth R. Harding

See also

• List of new members of the 95th United States Congress
• 1976 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
  • 1976 United States presidential election
  • 1976 United States Senate elections
  • 1976 United States House of Representatives elections
• 1978 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
  • 1978 United States Senate elections
  • 1978 United States House of Representatives elections

Notes

References

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

External links

• Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
• U.S. House of Representatives: Congressional History
• U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
• House of Representatives Session Calendar for the 95th Congress (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
• Congressional Pictorial Directory for the 95th Congress.
• Official Congressional Directory for the 95th Congress, 1st Session.
• Official Congressional Directory Supplement for the 95th Congress, 2nd Session.

1. List of new members of the 95th United States Congress
2. 1976 United States House of Representatives elections
3. List of United States Congresses
4. 1977 United States House of Representatives elections
5. List of United States federal legislation
6. Psychotropic Substances Act (United States)
7. List of United States senators in the 95th Congress
8. National Energy Conservation Policy Act
9. 1976 United States elections
10. Solar Photovoltaic Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1978
11. 1977 State of the Union Address
12. Department of Energy Organization Act
13. Presidential Records Act
14. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978
15. Tax Reduction and Simplification Act of 1977
16. Party divisions of United States Congresses
17. 1978 United States House of Representatives elections
18. Energy Tax Act
19. Lists of United States Congress
20. Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress