The 83rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1953, until January 3, 1955, during the last two weeks of the Truman administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of Dwight Eisenhower's presidency. It was composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The apportionment of seats in the House was based on the 1950 U.S. census.
The Republicans gained the majority in both chambers, winning back full control of Congress for the first time since the 80th Congress in 1947, and with Dwight Eisenhower being sworn in as president on January 20, 1953, this gave the Republicans an overall federal government trifecta for the first time since the 71st Congress in 1929, and the last time until they briefly did so during the 107th Congress in 2001.
Major events
January 20, 1953: Dwight Eisenhower is sworn in as President of the United States in his first inauguration
March 1, 1954: U.S. Capitol shooting incident
December 2, 1954: Joseph McCarthy is censured by the U.S. Senate
Major legislation
July 3, 1953: Small Business Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 83–163, ch. 282, 67 Stat. 232
August 7, 1953: Refugee Relief Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 83–203
August 14, 1953: Public Law 280, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 83–280, 18 U.S.C. § 1162
May 13, 1954: Saint Lawrence Seaway Act, ch. 201, 68 Stat. 92
August 12, 1954: Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act, ch. 649, title II, §201, 68 Stat. 612
August 13, 1954: Multiple Mineral Development Act, ch. 730, 68 Stat. 708
August 16, 1954: Internal Revenue Code of 1954, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 83–591, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 3
Federal Unemployment Tax Act, §1(d), 68A Stat. 439
National Firearms Act, §1(d), 68A Stat. 721
August 24, 1954: Communist Control Act of 1954, ch. 886, 68 Stat. 775
August 30, 1954: Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 68 Stat. 919
1954: Agricultural Act of 1954
1954: Water Facilities Act of 1954
Party summary
Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
President: Alben W. Barkley (D), until January 20, 1953
Richard Nixon (R), from January 20, 1953
President pro tempore: Styles Bridges (R)
Majority (Republican) leadership
Majority Leader: Robert A. Taft, until July 31, 1953 (died)
William Knowland, from August 3, 1953
Majority Whip: Leverett Saltonstall
Republican Conference Chairman: Eugene Millikin
Republican Conference Secretary: Milton Young
National Senatorial Committee Chair: Everett Dirksen
Policy Committee Chairman: Homer S. Ferguson
Minority (Democratic) leadership
Minority Leader and Conference Chairman: Lyndon B. Johnson
Minority Whip: Earle Clements
Democratic Caucus Secretary: Thomas C. Hennings Jr.
House of Representatives
Speaker: Joseph W. Martin Jr. (R)
Majority (Republican) leadership
Majority Leader: Charles A. Halleck
Majority Whip: Leslie C. Arends
Republican Conference Chairman: Clifford R. Hope
Policy Committee Chairman: Joseph W. Martin Jr.
Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Richard M. Simpson
Minority (Democratic) leadership
Minority Leader: Sam Rayburn
Minority Whip: John W. McCormack
Democratic Caucus Chairman: Wilbur Mills
Democratic Caucus Secretary: Edna F. Kelly
Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Michael J. Kirwan
Caucuses
House Democratic Caucus
Senate Democratic Caucus
Members
Senate
Senators are popularly elected statewide every six years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Within each state, senators are listed in order of seniority. 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 1954; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1956; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1958.
House of Representatives
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.
Senate
House of Representatives
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.
Senate
Agriculture and Forestry (Chairman: George D. Aiken; Ranking Member: Allen J. Ellender)
Appropriations (Chairman: Styles Bridges; Ranking Member: Carl Hayden)
Armed Services (Chairman: Leverett Saltonstall; Ranking Member: Richard B. Russell)
Banking and Currency (Chairman: Homer E. Capehart; Ranking Member: Burnet R. Maybank)
Censure Charges against Senator McCarthy (Select) (Chairman: [data missing]; Ranking Member: [data missing])
Compensation of Members of Congress (Select) (Chairman: [data missing]; Ranking Member: [data missing])
District of Columbia (Chairman: Francis Case; Ranking Member: Matthew M. Neely)
Finance (Chairman: Eugene D. Millikin; Ranking Member: Walter F. George)
Foreign Relations (Chairman: Alexander Wiley; Ranking Member: Walter F. George)
Government Operations (Chairman: Joseph R. McCarthy; Ranking Member: James E. Murray)
Interior and Insular Affairs (Chairman: Hugh Butler; Ranking Member: John L. McClellan)
Interstate and Foreign Commerce (Chairman: Charles W. Tobey; Ranking Member: Edwin C. Johnson)
Judiciary (Chairman: William Langer; Ranking Member: Pat McCarran)
Labor and Public Welfare (Chairman: H. Alexander Smith; Ranking Member: James E. Murray)
Mail Cover on Senators (Special) (Chairman: [data missing]; Ranking Member: [data missing])
Post Office and Civil Service (Chairman: Frank Carlson; Ranking Member: Olin D. Johnston)
Public Works (Chairman: Edward Martin; Ranking Member: Dennis Chavez)
Rules and Administration (Chairman: William E. Jenner; Ranking Member: Carl Hayden)
Small Business (Select) (Chairman: Edward J. Thye)
Whole
House of Representatives
Agriculture (Chairman: Clifford R. Hope; Ranking Member: Carl Vinson)
Appropriations (Chairman: John Taber; Ranking Member: Brent Spence)
Armed Services (Chairman: Dewey Jackson Short; Ranking Member: John L. McMillan)
Banking and Currency (Chairman: Jesse P. Wolcott; Ranking Member: Brent Spence)
Communist Aggression (Select) (Chairman: Charles J. Kersten)
Benefits for Dependents of Armed Services Veterans (Select) (Chairman: [data missing])
Defense Production
District of Columbia (Chairman: Sid Simpson; Ranking Member: John L. McMillan)
Education and Labor (Chairman: Samuel K. McConnell Jr.; Ranking Member: Graham A. Barden)
Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Robert B. Chiperfield; Ranking Member: James P. Richards)
House Administration (Chairman: Karl M. LeCompte; Ranking Member: Omar Burleson)
Investigate the Incorporation of the Baltic States into the U.S.S.R. (Select) (Chairman: Charles J. Kersten; Ranking Member: [data missing])
Interior and Insular Affairs (Chairman: Arthur L. Miller; Ranking Member: Clair Engle)
Interstate and Foreign Commerce (Chairman: Charles A. Wolverton; Ranking Member: Robert Crosser)
Government Operations (Chairman: Clare E. Hoffman; Ranking Member: William L. Dawson)
Judiciary (Chairman: Chauncey W. Reed; Ranking Member: Emanuel Celler)
Merchant Marine and Fisheries (Chairman: Alvin F. Weichel; Ranking Member: Edward J. Hart)
Post Office and Civil Service (Chairman: Edward H. Rees; Ranking Member: Tom J. Murray)
Public Works (Chairman: George Anthony Dondero; Ranking Member: Charles A. Buckley)
Rules (Chairman: Leo E. Allen; Ranking Member: Howard W. Smith)
Small Business (Select) (Chairman: William S. Hill)