77th United States Congress

77th United States Congress
United States Federal Government · Public domain · source
Congress	77th
Session year	1941
Session start	January 3, 1941
Session end	December 16, 1942
House seats	435
Senate seats	96
House majORITY	Democratic
Senate majORITY	Democratic

77th United States Congress. The 77th 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, from January 3, 1941, to December 16, 1942, during the third and fourth years of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. It was preceded by the 76th United States Congress and succeeded by the 78th United States Congress. The apportionment of seats was based on the 1930 United States Census and included many prominent politicians, such as Harry S. Truman, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

● Composition

The 77th Congress was composed of Democratic and Republican members, with Democrats holding a majority in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. The House of Representatives had 435 members, with 267 Democrats, 162 Republicans, 5 members of the Progressive Party, 1 member of the American Labor Party, and 1 member of the Farmer–Labor Party. The United States Senate had 96 members, with 66 Democrats and 30 Republicans. Notable members included Henry A. Wallace, Cordell Hull, and George C. Marshall.

● Major Events

The 77th Congress played a significant role in the lead-up to and during World War II, with the United States initially maintaining a policy of neutrality before eventually entering the war after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Key events included the passage of the Lend-Lease Act, which allowed the president to provide military aid to countries fighting against the Axis powers, such as the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. The Congress also established the Office of Price Administration to control prices and rents, and the War Production Board to coordinate the production of war materials. Other notable events included the Atlantic Charter, a joint statement issued by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, and the Japanese American internment, which was authorized by Executive Order 9066.

● Major Legislation

The 77th Congress passed several significant pieces of legislation, including the Lend-Lease Act, the Revenue Act of 1941, and the Revenue Act of 1942. The Lend-Lease Act allowed the president to provide military aid to countries fighting against the Axis powers, while the Revenue Act of 1941 and the Revenue Act of 1942 increased taxes to help finance the war effort. Other notable legislation included the Price Control Act, which established the Office of Price Administration, and the War Powers Act of 1941, which granted the president broad powers to conduct the war. The Congress also passed the Second War Powers Act, which allowed the president to reorganize the executive branch and establish new agencies, such as the War Production Board and the Office of War Information.

● Party Summary

The party composition of the 77th Congress was as follows: Democratic (267 members in the House of Representatives and 66 members in the United States Senate), Republican (162 members in the House of Representatives and 30 members in the United States Senate), Progressive Party (5 members in the House of Representatives), American Labor Party (1 member in the House of Representatives), and Farmer–Labor Party (1 member in the House of Representatives). Notable party leaders included Sam Rayburn, John W. McCormack, and Charles L. McNary.

● Leadership

The leadership of the 77th Congress included Sam Rayburn as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Alben W. Barkley as the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and Charles L. McNary as the Minority Leader of the United States Senate. Other notable leaders included John W. McCormack as the House Majority Whip and Wallace H. White Jr. as the Senate Minority Whip. The Congress also included prominent committee chairs, such as Henry A. Waxman and Carl Hayden.

● Membership

The 77th Congress included many notable members, such as Harry S. Truman, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Other notable members included Estes Kefauver, Hubert Humphrey, and Jacob Javits. The Congress also included several women, including Jeannette Rankin and Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson, and several African Americans, including Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and William L. Dawson. The membership of the Congress was diverse and included representatives from all 48 states, as well as several territories, including Puerto Rico and the Philippine Islands. Category:United States Congresses