The 95th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from January 3, 1977, to January 3, 1979, during the final weeks of Gerald Ford's presidency and the first two years of Jimmy Carter's presidency.
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1970 United States census. Both chambers maintained a Democratic supermajority, and with Jimmy Carter being sworn in as president on January 20, 1977, this gave the Democrats an overall federal government trifecta for the first time since the 90th Congress ending in 1969.
, this was the most recent Congress to approve an amendment (the unratified District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment) to the Constitution. This is the last time the Democratic Party or any political party held a 2/3 supermajority in the House.
This is the last congress to at any point have no female senators (from its beginning, January 3, 1977, until the swearing-in of Muriel Humphrey (D-MN) on January 25, 1978; and again from the departure of both Humphrey and Maryon Allen (D-AL) on November 7, 1978, to the early swearing-in of Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) on December 23, 1978).
Major events
1977 was the last year to have men serving as all 100 U.S senators January 20, 1977: Inauguration of President Jimmy Carter July 13, 1977: New York City blackout of 1977 January 1, 1978: The Northern Mariana Islands left the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands to become a Commonwealth of the United States, making it unincorporated and organized. February 8, 1978: Senate proceedings are broadcast on radio for the first time. August 7, 1978: Love Canal Disaster September 17, 1978: Camp David Accords November 18, 1978: Representative Leo Ryan is shot and killed by members of the Peoples Temple in Guyana, shortly before the Jonestown massacre.
Hearings Project MKULTRA – (Church Committee, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Human Resources subcommittee on Health and Scientific Research)
Major legislation
May 13, 1977: Economic Stimulus Appropriations Act of 1977, , August 3, 1977: Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, , August 4, 1977: Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977, , September 29, 1977: Food and Agriculture Act of 1977, , October 7, 1977: Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, , October 12, 1977: Community Reinvestment Act, , title VIII, November 23, 1977: Saccharin Study and Labeling Act of 1977, , December 27, 1977: Clean Water Act, , December 28, 1977: International Emergency Economic Powers Act, , title II, March 10, 1978: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978, , October 10, 1978: Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin Act of 1979, , October 12, 1978: Inspector General Act of 1978, , October 13, 1978: Civil Service Reform Act, , October 24, 1978: Airline Deregulation Act, , October 25, 1978: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, , October 26, 1978: Ethics in Government Act, , October 27, 1978: Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act, , October 31, 1978: Pregnancy Discrimination Act, , November 1, 1978: Contract Disputes Act, , November 4, 1978: Solar Photovoltaic Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1978, , November 6, 1978: Bankruptcy Act of 1978, , November 8, 1978: Indian Child Welfare Act, , November 8, 1978: Amateur Sports Act of 1978 , November 9, 1978: National Energy Conservation Policy Act, ,
Constitutional amendments
August 22, 1978: Approved an amendment to the United States Constitution granting the District of Columbia full representation in the United States Congress, full representation in the Electoral College system, and full participation in the process by which the Constitution is amended, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification This amendment, commonly known as the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, was later rendered inoperative, as it was not ratified within the seven–year time frame set by Congress.
Treaties ratified March 16, 1978: First of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties (Panama Canal) treaty: "The Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal", commonly known as the "Neutrality Treaty" April 19, 1978: Second of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties treaty, commonly known as "The Panama Canal Treaty"
Party summary
Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
President: Nelson Rockefeller (R), until January 20, 1977 Walter Mondale (D), from January 20, 1977 President pro tempore: James Eastland (D) Permanent Acting President pro tempore: Lee Metcalf (D), until January 12, 1978 Deputy President pro tempore: Hubert Humphrey (D), until January 13, 1978
Majority (Democratic) leadership Majority Leader: Robert Byrd Majority Whip: Alan Cranston Democratic Caucus Secretary: Daniel Inouye Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Wendell Ford
Minority (Republican) leadership Minority Leader: Howard Baker Minority Whip: Ted Stevens Republican Conference Chairman: Carl Curtis Republican Conference Secretary: Clifford Hansen National Senatorial Committee Chair: Bob Packwood Policy Committee Chairman: John Tower
House of Representatives Speaker: Tip O'Neill (D)
Majority (Democratic) leadership Majority Leader: Jim Wright Majority Whip: John Brademas Chief Deputy Majority Whip: Dan Rostenkowski Democratic Caucus Chairman: Tom Foley Democratic Caucus Secretary: Shirley Chisholm Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: James C. Corman
Minority (Republican) leadership Minority Leader: John Jacob Rhodes Minority Whip: Robert H. Michel Republican Conference Chairman: John B. Anderson Republican Conference Vice-Chairman: Samuel L. Devine Republican Conference Secretary: Jack Edwards Policy Committee Chairman: Del M. Clawson Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Guy Vander Jagt
Caucuses Congressional Black Caucus Congressional Hispanic Caucus Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues House Democratic Caucus Senate Democratic Caucus
Members
Senate
In this Congress, Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1978; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1980; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1982.
Alabama 2. John J. Sparkman (D) 3. James Allen (D), until June 1, 1978 Maryon Pittman Allen (D), from June 8, 1978, until November 7, 1978 Donald Stewart (D), from November 7, 1978
Alaska 2. Ted Stevens (R) 3. Mike Gravel (D)
Arizona 1. Dennis DeConcini (D) 3. Barry Goldwater (R)
Arkansas 2. John L. McClellan (D), until November 28, 1977 Kaneaster Hodges Jr. (D), from December 10, 1977 3. Dale Bumpers (D)
California 1. S. I. Hayakawa (R) 3. Alan Cranston (D)
Colorado 2. Floyd Haskell (D) 3. Gary Hart (D)
Connecticut 1. Lowell Weicker (R) 3. Abraham Ribicoff (D)
Delaware 1. William Roth (R) 2. Joe Biden (D)
Florida 1. Lawton Chiles (D) 3. Richard Stone (D)
Georgia 2. Sam Nunn (D) 3. Herman Talmadge (D)
Hawaii 1. Spark Matsunaga (D) 3. Daniel Inouye (D)
Idaho 2. James A. McClure (R) 3. Frank Church (D)
Illinois 2. Charles H. Percy (R) 3. Adlai Stevenson III (D)
Indiana 1. Richard Lugar (R) 3. Birch Bayh (D)
Iowa 2. Dick Clark (D) 3. John Culver (D)
Kansas 2. James B. Pearson (R), until December 23, 1978 Nancy Kassebaum (R), from December 23, 1978 3. Bob Dole (R)
Kentucky 2. Walter Dee Huddleston (D) 3. Wendell Ford (D)
Louisiana 2. J. Bennett Johnston (D) 3. Russell B. Long (D)
Maine 1. Edmund Muskie (D) 2. William Hathaway (D)
Maryland 1. Paul Sarbanes (D) 3. Charles Mathias (R)
Massachusetts 1. Ted Kennedy (D) 2. Edward Brooke (R)
Michigan 1. Donald Riegle (D) 2. Robert P. Griffin (R)
Minnesota 1. Hubert Humphrey, (DFL), until January 13, 1978 Muriel Humphrey, (DFL), from January 25, 1978, until November 7, 1978 David Durenberger (I-R), from November 8, 1978 2. Wendell R. Anderson, (DFL), until December 29, 1978 Rudy Boschwitz (I-R)
Mississippi 1. John C. Stennis (D) 2. James Eastland (D), until December 27, 1978 Thad Cochran (R), from December 27, 1978
Missouri 1. John Danforth (R) 3. Thomas Eagleton (D)
Montana 1. John Melcher (D) 2. Lee Metcalf (D), until January 12, 1978 Paul G. Hatfield (D), from January 22, 1978, until December 12, 1978 Max Baucus (D), from December 15, 1978
Nebraska 1. Edward Zorinsky (D) 2. Carl Curtis (R)
Nevada 1. Howard Cannon (D) 3. Paul Laxalt (R)
New Hampshire 2. Thomas J. McIntyre (D) 3. John A. Durkin (D)
New Jersey 1. Harrison A. Williams (D) 2. Clifford P. Case (R)
New Mexico 1. Harrison Schmitt (R) 2. Pete Domenici (R)
New York 1. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D) 3. Jacob Javits (R)
North Carolina 2. Jesse Helms (R) 3. Robert Burren Morgan (D)
North Dakota 1. Quentin Burdick (D-NPL) 3. Milton Young (R)
Ohio 1. Howard Metzenbaum (D) 3. John Glenn (D)
Oklahoma 2. Dewey F. Bartlett (R) 3. Henry Bellmon (R)
Oregon 2. Mark Hatfield (R) 3. Bob Packwood (R)
Pennsylvania 1. John Heinz (R) 3. Richard Schweiker (R)
Rhode Island 1. John Chafee (R) 2. Claiborne Pell (D)
South Carolina 2. Strom Thurmond (R) 3. Fritz Hollings (D)
South Dakota 2. James Abourezk (D) 3. George McGovern (D)
Tennessee 1. Jim Sasser (D) 2. Howard Baker (R)
Texas 1. Lloyd Bentsen (D) 2. John Tower (R)
Utah 1. Orrin Hatch (R) 3. Jake Garn (R)
Vermont 1. Robert Stafford (R) 3. Patrick Leahy (D)
Virginia 1. Harry F. Byrd Jr. (ID) 2. William L. Scott (R), until January 1, 1979 John Warner (R), from January 2, 1979
Washington 1. Henry M. Jackson (D) 3. Warren G. Magnuson (D)
West Virginia 1. Robert Byrd (D) 2. Jennings Randolph (D)
Wisconsin 1. William Proxmire (D) 3. Gaylord Nelson (D)
Wyoming 1. Malcolm Wallop (R) 2. Clifford Hansen (R), until December 31, 1978 Alan Simpson (R), from January 1, 1979
House of Representatives
Representatives elected statewide at-large, are preceded by "At-large", and the names of those elected from districts, are preceded by their district numbers.
Many of the congressional district numbers are linked to articles describing the district itself. Since the boundaries of the districts have changed often and substantially, the linked article may only describe the district as it exists today, and not as it was at the time of this Congress.
Alabama
. Jack Edwards (R) . William Louis Dickinson (R) . Bill Nichols (D) . Tom Bevill (D) . Ronnie Flippo (D) . John Hall Buchanan Jr. (R) . Walter Flowers (D)
Alaska
. Don Young (R)
Arizona
. John Jacob Rhodes (R) . Mo Udall (D) . Bob Stump (D) . Eldon Rudd (R)
Arkansas
. William Vollie Alexander Jr. (D) . Jim Guy Tucker (D) . John Paul Hammerschmidt (R) . Ray Thornton (D)
California
. Harold T. Johnson (D) . Donald H. Clausen (R) . John E. Moss (D), until December 31, 1978 . Robert L. Leggett (D) . John Burton (D) . Phillip Burton (D) . George Miller (D) . Ron Dellums (D) . Pete Stark (D) . Don Edwards (D) . Leo Ryan (D), until November 18, 1978 . Pete McCloskey (R) . Norman Mineta (D) . John J. McFall (D), until December 31, 1978 . B. F. Sisk (D) . Leon Panetta (D) . John Hans Krebs (D) . William M. Ketchum (R), until June 24, 1978 . Robert J. Lagomarsino (R) . Barry Goldwater Jr. (R) . James C. Corman (D) . Carlos Moorhead (R) . Anthony Beilenson (D) . Henry Waxman (D) . Edward R. Roybal (D) . John H. Rousselot (R) . Bob Dornan (R) . Yvonne Brathwaite Burke (D) . Augustus Hawkins (D) . George E. Danielson (D) . Charles H. Wilson (D) . Glenn M. Anderson (D) . Del M. Clawson (R), until December 31, 1978 . Mark W. Hannaford (D) . James F. Lloyd (D) . George Brown Jr. (D) . Shirley Neil Pettis (R) . Jerry M. Patterson (D) . Charles E. Wiggins (R)