97th United States Congress
| 97th United States Congress | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Ninety-seventh 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, 1981 to January 3, 1983, during the final weeks of Jimmy Carter's presidency and the first two years of Ronald Reagan's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Nineteenth Census of the United States in 1970. The House of Representatives had a Democratic majority. The Republicans gained control of the Senate, the first time that Republicans gained control of any chamber of Congress since 1953.
Major events
- Early 1980s recession
- January 20, 1981 – Inauguration of President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush
- January 20, 1981 – Iran hostage crisis ended
- March 30, 1981 – Reagan assassination attempt
- April 12, 1981 – First space shuttle launched
- June 5, 1981 – First recognized case of AIDS
- August 5, 1981 – President Reagan fired the air traffic controllers
- September 21, 1981 – Senate confirmed the first female United States Supreme Court justice, Sandra Day O'Connor
- November 2, 1982 – United States general elections: Republicans retained Senate; Democrats increased control in House
Major legislation
- August 13, 1981 – Economic Recovery Tax Act (ERTA or Kemp-Roth Tax Cut), Pub.L. 97–34, 95 Stat. 172
- August 13, 1981 – Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Pub.L. 97–35, 95 Stat. 357
- September 3, 1982 – Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982, Pub.L. 97–248, 96 Stat. 324
- September 8, 1982 - Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act USFSPA, Pub.L. 97–252, 96 Stat. 730
- September 20, 1982 – Bus Regulatory Reform Act, Pub.L. 97–261, 96 Stat. 1102
- October 13, 1982 – Job Training Partnership Act of 1982, Pub.L. 97–300, 96 Stat. 1322
- October 15, 1982 – Garn–St. Germain Depository Institutions Act, Pub.L. 97–320, 96 Stat. 1469
- January 6, 1983 – Surface Transportation Assistance Act, Pub.L. 97–424, 96 Stat. 2140
- January 7, 1983 – Nuclear Waste Policy Act, Pub.L. 97–425, 96 Stat. 2201
Constitutional amendments
- June 30, 1982 – Potential ratification of Equal Rights Amendment expired
Special or select committees
- Senate Select Committee on Small Business — Became a standing committee on March 25, 1981
- Senate Select Committee on Law Enforcement Undercover Activities of the Justice Department — March 24, 1982 - December 15, 1982
Party summary
Senate
Party standings on the opening day of the 97th Congress
| Affiliation | Members | |
|---|---|---|
| Republican Party | 53 | |
| Democratic Party | 46 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 100 | |
House of Representatives
| Affiliation | Members | Voting share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 244 | 56.1% | |
| Republican Party | 191 | 43.9% | |
| Total | 435 | ||
Leadership
Senate
- President of the Senate: Walter Mondale (D), until January 20, 1981
- George Bush (R), from January 20, 1981
- President pro tempore: Strom Thurmond (R)
Majority (Republican) leadership
Minority (Democratic) leadership
| House seats by party holding plurality in state | |
|---|---|
| >80% Republican | >80% Democratic |
| >60% Republican | >60% Democratic |
| >50% Republican | >50% Democratic |
| (Striped): even split | |
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Tip O'Neill (D)
Majority (Democratic) leadership
Minority (Republican) leadership
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
Senate
Senators are popularly elected statewide every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress.
House of Representatives
Members of the House of Representatives are listed by their districts.
Changes in membership
Senate
There were 2 resignations.
| State (class) |
Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey (Class 1) |
Harrison A. Williams (D) |
Resigned March 11, 1982 before a planned expulsion vote, having been convicted of bribery in the Abscam sting operation. His successor was appointed to complete the term. | Nicholas F. Brady (R) |
April 27, 1982 |
| New Jersey (Class 1) |
Nicholas F. Brady (R) |
Resigned December 27, 1982 so his elected successor could be appointed for preferential seniority. | Frank Lautenberg (D) |
December 27, 1982 |
House of Representatives
There were 4 deaths, 4 resignations, one declared vacancy, and one party change.
| District | Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date successor seated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan 4th | David Stockman (R) | Resigned January 27, 1981 after being appointed Director of the Office of Management and Budget | Mark D. Siljander (R) | April 21, 1981 |
| Maryland 5th | Gladys Spellman (D) | Incapacitated since last Congress and seat declared vacant February 24, 1981 | Steny H. Hoyer (D) | May 19, 1981 |
| Ohio 4th | Tennyson Guyer (R) | Died April 12, 1981 | Mike Oxley (R) | June 25, 1981 |
| Mississippi 4th | Jon Hinson (R) | Resigned April 13, 1981 | Wayne Dowdy (D) | July 7, 1981 |
| Pennsylvania 3rd | Raymond F. Lederer (D) | Resigned April 29, 1981, before a planned expulsion vote, having been convicted of bribery in the Abscam sting operation | Joseph F. Smith (D) | July 21, 1981 |
| Connecticut 1st | William R. Cotter (D) | Died September 7, 1981 | Barbara B. Kennelly (D) | January 12, 1982 |
| Pennsylvania 25th | Eugene Atkinson (D) | Changed parties October 14, 1981 | Eugene Atkinson (R) | October 14, 1981 |
| California 30th | George E. Danielson (D) | Resigned March 9, 1982 after being appointed associate justice of the California Courts of Appeal | Matthew G. Martínez (D) | July 13, 1982 |
| Ohio 17th | John M. Ashbrook (R) | Died April 24, 1982 | Jean Spencer Ashbrook (R) | June 29, 1982 |
| Indiana 1st | Adam Benjamin, Jr. (D) | Died September 7, 1982 | Katie B. Hall (D) | November 2, 1982 |
Employees
Senate
- Chaplain:
- Curator:
- Historian:
- Parliamentarian: Robert Dove
- Secretary:
- Sergeant at Arms:
- Secretary for the Majority:
- Secretary for the Minority:
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: James D. Ford
- Clerk: Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr.
- Doorkeeper: James T. Malloy
- Parliamentarian: William Holmes Brown
- Postmaster: Robert V. Rota
- Reading Clerk of the United States House of Representatives: Meg Goetz
- Sergeant at Arms: Benjamin J. Guthrie
See also
- United States Senate elections, 1980
- United States House of Representatives elections, 1980
- United States presidential election, 1980
- United States Senate elections, 1982
- United States House of Representatives elections, 1982
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
- Ninety-Seventh Congress, Pocket Congressional Directory. Government Printing Office. January 1981. p. 106.
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