85th United States Congress

85th United States Congress
Number	85th
Caption	The United States Capitol in 1956
Body	United States Congress
Before	84th United States Congress
After	86th United States Congress
Start	January 3, 1957
End	January 3, 1959
Vice-president	Richard Nixon (R)
Pro-tempore	Carl Hayden (D)
Speaker	Sam Rayburn (D)
Senators	96
House-majority	Democratic
Senate-majority	Democratic
Sessionnumber1	1st
Sessionstart1	January 3, 1957
Sessionend1	August 30, 1957
Sessionnumber2	2nd
Sessionstart2	January 7, 1958
Sessionend2	August 24, 1958

85th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1957, to January 3, 1959, during the fifth and sixth years of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency. The Democratic Party maintained control of both chambers, creating a dynamic of divided government with the Republican administration. This Congress was notable for its legislative responses to the Cold War and domestic civil rights, as well as the political fallout from the Sputnik launch.

Major legislation

Key legislative achievements included the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first federal civil rights legislation since Reconstruction, which established the United States Commission on Civil Rights and a civil rights division within the United States Department of Justice. In response to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik 1, Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, creating NASA. Other significant acts were the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act, the Food Additives Amendment of 1958 (including the Delaney clause), and the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, which established the Federal Aviation Administration. The Alaska Statehood Act and the Hawaii Admission Act were also passed, setting the stage for new states.

Leadership

In the Senate, Vice President Richard Nixon served as the presiding officer. The President pro tempore was Carl Hayden of Arizona. The Senate Democratic Majority Leader was Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, with his Republican counterpart being William F. Knowland of California. In the House, Sam Rayburn of Texas served as Speaker. The House Majority Leader was John William McCormack of Massachusetts, and the House Minority Leader was Joseph William Martin Jr. of Massachusetts.

Party summary

The Senate consisted of 49 Democrats and 47 Republicans. The House comprised 233 Democrats and 200 Republicans, with one vacancy. This Democratic majority in both chambers presented a continued challenge to President Dwight D. Eisenhower's agenda, though significant bipartisan cooperation occurred on national security matters. The party balance was influenced by the continuing realignment in the Solid South and growing suburban constituencies.

Major events

Major events included the Little Rock Crisis, where Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard to enforce desegregation at Little Rock Central High School. The launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union in October 1957 triggered a national crisis over American technological competitiveness, leading to the National Defense Education Act. The Recession of 1958 shaped economic debates. Internationally, the period saw the formation of the European Economic Community, the Lebanon crisis of 1958 involving U.S. Marines, and rising tensions over the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis.

Members

The Senate included notable figures such as John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, Barry Goldwater of Arizona, and Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who famously conducted a 24-hour filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Prominent House members included a young Gerald Ford of Michigan, future Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. of Massachusetts, and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. of New York. The delegation from the soon-to-be-admitted states of Alaska and Hawaii included non-voting territorial delegates.

Committees

Significant Senate committees were chaired by powerful Democrats, including Richard Russell Jr. (Armed Services), J. William Fulbright (Foreign Relations), and Harry F. Byrd (Finance). Key House committees were led by figures like Carl Vinson (Armed Services) and Wilbur Mills (Ways and Means). The Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, co-chaired by Senator Clinton Presba Anderson, played a crucial role in nuclear policy.

Category:85th United States Congress Category:1957 in American politics Category:1958 in American politics