109th United States Congress

109th United States Congress
Diliff · Public domain · source
Number	109th
Caption	The United States Capitol (2006)
Start	January 3, 2005
End	January 3, 2007
Vice-president	Dick Cheney (R)
Pro-tempore	Ted Stevens (R)
House-speaker	Dennis Hastert (R)
Senate-maj-leader	Bill Frist (R)
Senate-min-leader	Harry Reid (D)
House-maj-leader	Tom DeLay (R), John Boehner (R)
House-min-leader	Nancy Pelosi (D)
Session1	January 4, 2005 – December 22, 2005
Session2	January 3, 2006 – December 9, 2006

109th United States Congress convened from January 3, 2005, to January 3, 2007, during the final years of George W. Bush's presidency. The Republican Party maintained control of both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, though their majorities were reduced following the 2006 midterm elections. This Congress was marked by significant legislative activity on national security, emergency response, and contentious judicial nominations, set against the backdrop of the ongoing War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War.

Major legislation

This session passed several landmark bills, including the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which aimed to increase domestic production, and the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) highway bill. In response to Hurricane Katrina, it passed the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act and the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005. Other significant enactments were the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006, and the Military Commissions Act of 2006. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 reformed retirement plans, while the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 extended provisions of the original USA PATRIOT Act.

Leadership

In the Senate, Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee led the chamber, with Democratic Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada heading the opposition. The President pro tempore was Ted Stevens of Alaska. Vice President Dick Cheney served as the presiding officer. In the House, Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois presided, with Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas (later succeeded by John Boehner of Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California rounding out the top leadership.

Party summary

At its outset, the Senate consisted of 55 Republicans, 44 Democrats, and one Independent who caucused with the Democrats, Jim Jeffords of Vermont. The House began with 232 Republicans, 202 Democrats, and one Independent, Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Following the 2006 elections, control of both chambers shifted to the Democratic Party, setting the stage for the 110th United States Congress. Notable changes included the defeat of several incumbent senators, including Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Mike DeWine of Ohio.

Major events

Key events included the confirmation of John Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States and the contentious nomination and confirmation of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court of the United States. The federal response to Hurricane Katrina dominated the fall of 2005, leading to multiple investigations and hearings. The Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal resulted in the resignation of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. The Second Liberian Civil War concluded with the resignation of Charles Taylor. The Congress also oversaw continued operations in the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War, including debates on troop levels and strategy.

Committees

Significant Senate committees included the Committee on Appropriations chaired by Thad Cochran of Mississippi, the Committee on Armed Services led by John Warner of Virginia, and the Committee on Finance under Chuck Grassley of Iowa. In the House, major panels were the Committee on Appropriations chaired by Jerry Lewis of California, the Committee on Ways and Means led by Bill Thomas of California, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce under Joe Barton of Texas. The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct investigated the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Members

The Senate roster included notable figures such as Barack Obama of Illinois, Hillary Clinton of New York, John McCain of Arizona, and Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts. Prominent House members included future Speaker Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha of Pennsylvania, Henry Waxman of California, and John Dingell of Michigan. This Congress also included the first Buddhist member, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, and saw the service of Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the senior member of the Senate. Several members, such as Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, served as influential independents.