85th United States Congress

85th United States Congress
United States Federal Government · Public domain · source
Congress	85th
Session year	1957
Session num	1st
Start	January 3, 1957
End	January 3, 1959
President	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Vice-president	Richard Nixon
House-speaker	Sam Rayburn
House-majority	Democratic
Senate-president	Richard Nixon
Senate-majority	Democratic

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 apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1950 United States Census and the membership of the Senate was based on the Seventeenth Amendment. The Democratic Party maintained control of both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

● Major Events

The 85th Congress saw several significant events, including the Little Rock Nine crisis, in which Orval Faubus, the Governor of Arkansas, attempted to prevent African American students from attending Little Rock Central High School, prompting Dwight D. Eisenhower to deploy the 101st Airborne Division to enforce Brown v. Board of Education. The Congress also witnessed the launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union, which led to the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the creation of the National Defense Education Act. Additionally, the Civil Rights Act of 1957 was passed, which established the United States Commission on Civil Rights and authorized the United States Attorney General to investigate civil rights abuses. The Congress also saw the emergence of prominent figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Thurgood Marshall, who played crucial roles in the Civil Rights Movement.

● Party Summary

The party summary of the 85th Congress was as follows: the Democratic Party held a majority in both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, with Lyndon B. Johnson serving as the Senate Majority Leader and Sam Rayburn serving as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. The Republican Party was the minority party in both chambers, with William F. Knowland serving as the Senate Minority Leader and Joseph W. Martin Jr. serving as the House Minority Leader. Other notable members of Congress included Hubert Humphrey, Strom Thurmond, Richard Russell Jr., and Everett Dirksen.

● Major Legislation

The 85th Congress passed several significant pieces of legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the National Defense Education Act, and the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956. The Congress also passed the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act, which provided liability insurance for the nuclear industry, and the National Science Foundation Authorization Act, which authorized funding for the National Science Foundation. Additionally, the Congress passed the Air Pollution Control Act, which provided funding for research into air pollution, and the Water Pollution Control Act, which authorized funding for the construction of wastewater treatment plants. Other notable legislation included the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 and the National Aeronautics and Space Act.

● Leadership

The leadership of the 85th Congress included Sam Rayburn as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Lyndon B. Johnson as the Senate Majority Leader, and William F. Knowland as the Senate Minority Leader. Other notable leaders included Joseph W. Martin Jr. as the House Minority Leader, Carl Hayden as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate, and John W. McCormack as the Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives. The Congress also saw the emergence of prominent leaders such as John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Barry Goldwater, who would go on to play significant roles in American politics.

● Membership

The membership of the 85th Congress included several notable figures, such as John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Barry Goldwater, and Richard Nixon. Other notable members included Hubert Humphrey, Strom Thurmond, Richard Russell Jr., and Everett Dirksen. The Congress also saw the election of several new members, including George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Donald Rumsfeld. The membership of the Congress was diverse, with representatives from all 48 states, as well as several territories, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

● Elections

The elections for the 85th Congress were held on November 6, 1956, with the Democratic Party maintaining control of both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. The elections saw the election of several new members, including George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Donald Rumsfeld. The elections also saw the re-election of several notable members, including John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Barry Goldwater. The elections were significant, as they set the stage for the 1960 United States presidential election, in which John F. Kennedy would go on to defeat Richard Nixon. The elections also saw the emergence of several new political figures, including Nelson Rockefeller and Ronald Reagan, who would go on to play significant roles in American politics.

Category:United States Congress