72nd United States Congress

72nd United States Congress
Public domain · source
Congress	72nd
Session year	1931
Session start	December 7, 1931
Session end	March 4, 1933
Previous	71st
Next	73rd
House seats	435
Senate seats	96
House majORITY	Democratic Party
Senate majORITY	Republican Party

72nd 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 December 7, 1931, to March 4, 1933, during the final months of Herbert Hoover's presidency and the first months of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. The apportionment of seats was based on the 1930 United States Census and featured several prominent members, including Hamilton Fish III, Fiorello La Guardia, and Robert A. Taft. The Congress also saw the participation of notable figures such as Theodore Francis Green, Carter Glass, and George Norris.

● Composition

The 72nd Congress was composed of Democratic Party and Republican Party members, with the Democrats holding a majority in the United States House of Representatives and the Republicans holding a majority in the United States Senate. The Congress featured several notable members, including John Nance Garner, Henry A. Wallace, and Cordell Hull, who would later play important roles in the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Other prominent members included Hiram Johnson, George W. Norris, and Robert M. La Follette Jr., who were known for their progressive views and their support of Theodore Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party. The Congress also included several members who would later become prominent figures, such as Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, and Estes Kefauver.

● Major Events

The 72nd Congress met during a time of great economic turmoil, with the Great Depression affecting millions of Americans. In response to the crisis, the Congress passed several major pieces of legislation, including the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the Federal Home Loan Bank Act. The Congress also addressed several major issues, including the Bonus Army march on Washington, D.C. and the Scottsboro Boys case, which highlighted issues of racial injustice and civil rights. Other notable events during the Congress included the 1932 Winter Olympics and the 1932 Summer Olympics, which were held in Lake Placid, New York, and Los Angeles, California, respectively. The Congress also saw the establishment of the Federal Radio Commission, which would later become the Federal Communications Commission.

● Party Summary

The party summary of the 72nd Congress was as follows: the Democratic Party held 217 seats in the United States House of Representatives, while the Republican Party held 217 seats as well, with the remaining seat held by the Farmer–Labor Party. In the United States Senate, the Republican Party held 48 seats, while the Democratic Party held 47 seats, with one seat held by the Farmer–Labor Party. The Congress also featured several notable third-party members, including Vito Marcantonio of the American Labor Party and Bernard De Voto of the Progressive Party. Other parties represented in the Congress included the Socialist Party of America and the Communist Party USA.

● Membership Changes

There were several membership changes during the 72nd Congress, including the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of the United States and the appointment of Herbert Hoover's successor, Charles Curtis, as Vice President of the United States. The Congress also saw the death of several members, including Thaddeus Caraway and Otis Ferguson, and the resignation of several others, including Rebecca Latimer Felton and Hiram Bingham. Other notable membership changes included the election of Harry S. Truman to the United States Senate and the appointment of Frances Perkins as United States Secretary of Labor.

● Leadership

The leadership of the 72nd Congress included John Nance Garner as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and Charles Curtis as President pro tempore of the United States Senate. Other notable leaders included Henry A. Rainey as House Majority Leader and James E. Watson as Senate Majority Leader. The Congress also featured several notable committee chairs, including Carter Glass as chair of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and Fletcher Hale as chair of the United States House Committee on Ways and Means. Other notable leaders included Sam Rayburn as chair of the United States House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce and George Norris as chair of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

● Major Legislation

The 72nd Congress passed several major pieces of legislation, including the Federal Home Loan Bank Act, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, and the Norris-La Guardia Act. The Congress also addressed several major issues, including the Bonus Army march on Washington, D.C. and the Scottsboro Boys case, which highlighted issues of racial injustice and civil rights. Other notable legislation included the Federal Radio Commission and the Tariff Act of 1932, which was signed into law by Herbert Hoover. The Congress also saw the establishment of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. The 72nd Congress laid the groundwork for the New Deal policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which would be implemented by the 73rd United States Congress.