# 90th United States Congress

The 90th 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, 1967, to January 3, 1969, during the last two years of President Lyndon B. Johnson's second term in office.
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1960 United States census.
Both chambers had a Democratic majority; however, the Democrats lost seats in both the Senate and the House, which cost them both their 2/3rds supermajority in the Senate and their supermajority status in the House. Along with President Johnson, the Democrats maintained an overall federal government trifecta.

## Major events

* January 27, 1967: Cold War: The United States, Soviet Union and the United Kingdom sign the Outer Space Treaty.
* April 1, 1967: The Department of Transportation begins operation.
* July 1, 1967: American Samoa's first constitution becomes effective.
* August 30, 1967: Thurgood Marshall is confirmed as the first African American Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
* March 18, 1968: Gold standard: The Congress of the United States repeals the requirement for a gold reserve to back U.S. currency.
* April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr. is shot dead at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. In response, riots erupt in major American cities, lasting for several days afterward.

## Major legislation

* April 4, 1967: Supplemental Defense Appropriations Act, Pub. L. 90–8, 81 Stat. 8
* November 7, 1967: Public Broadcasting Act, Pub. L. 90–129, 81 Stat. 365
* December 14, 1967: Uniform Congressional District Act, Pub. L. 90–196, 81 Stat. 581
* December 15, 1967: Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Pub. L. 90–202, 81 Stat. 602
* December 18, 1967: National Park Foundation Act, Pub. L. 90–209, 81 Stat. 656
* January 2, 1968: Elementary and Secondary Education Amendments of 1967, Pub. L. 90–247, including Title VII: Bilingual Education Act, 81 Stat. 816
* March 1, 1968: Fire Research and Safety Act of 1968, Pub. L. 90–259, 82 Stat. 34
* April 11, 1968: Civil Rights Act of 1968, Pub. L. 90–284, 82 Stat. 73, including Title II: Indian Civil Rights Act, 82 Stat. 77
* May 29, 1968: Truth in Lending Act, Pub. L. 90–321
* June 1, 1968: Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Pub. L. 90–363, 82 Stat. 250
* June 19, 1968: Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, Pub. L. 90–351, 82 Stat. 197
* July 21, 1968: Aircraft Noise Abatement Act, Pub. L. 90–411, 82 Stat. 395
* October 2, 1968: Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Pub. L. 90–542, 82 Stat. 906
* October 2, 1968: National Trails System Act, Pub. L. 90–543, 82 Stat. 919
* October 15, 1968: Health Services and Facilities Amendments of 1968, Pub. L. 90–574, 82 Stat. 1006, including Title III: Alcoholic and Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Amendments of 1968
* October 18, 1968: Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968, Pub. L. 90–602, 82 Stat. 1173
* October 22, 1968: Foreign Military Sales Act of 1968, Pub. L. 90–629, 82 Stat. 1320-2
* October 22, 1968: Gun Control Act of 1968, Pub. L. 90–618, 82 Stat. 1213

## Constitutional amendments

* February 10, 1967: Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified by the requisite number of states (then 38) to become part of the Constitution

## Party summary

The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

### Senate

| | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant |
| | Democratic (D) | Republican (R) | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous congress | 66 | 33 | 99 | 1 |
| Begin | 64 | 35 | 99 | 1 |
| End | 62 | 38 | 100 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 62.0% | 38.0% | | |
| Beginning of next congress | 57 | 43 | 100 | 0 |

### House of Representatives

| | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant |
| | Democratic (D) | Republican (R) | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous congress | 288 | 137 | 425 | 10 |
| Begin | 248 | 187 | 435 | 0 |
| End | 247 | 186 | 433 | 2 |
| Final voting share | 57.0% | 43.0% | | |
| Beginning of next congress | 243 | 192 | 435 | 0 |

## Leadership
### Senate

* President: Hubert Humphrey (D)
* President pro tempore: Carl Hayden (D)
* Permanent Acting President pro tempore: Lee Metcalf (D)

#### Majority (Democratic) leadership

* Majority Leader: Mike Mansfield
* Majority Whip: Russell B. Long
* Democratic Caucus Secretary: Robert Byrd

#### Minority (Republican) leadership

* Minority Leader: Everett Dirksen
* Minority Whip: Thomas Kuchel
* Republican Conference Chairman: Margaret Chase Smith
* Republican Conference Secretary: Milton Young
* National Senatorial Committee Chair: George Murphy
* Policy Committee Chairman: Bourke B. Hickenlooper

### House of Representatives

* Speaker: John W. McCormack (D)

#### Majority (Democratic) leadership

* Majority Leader: Carl Albert
* Majority Whip: Hale Boggs
* Democratic Caucus Chairman: Dan Rostenkowski
* Democratic Caucus Secretary: Leonor Sullivan
* Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Michael J. Kirwan

#### Minority (Republican) leadership

* Minority Leader: Gerald Ford
* Minority Whip: Leslie C. Arends
* Republican Conference Chairman: Melvin Laird
* Republican Conference Secretary: Richard H. Poff
* Policy Committee Chairman: John Jacob Rhodes
* Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Bob Wilson

## Caucuses

* House Democratic Caucus
* Senate Democratic Caucus

## Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by their classes, and representatives are listed by district.

### Senate

Senators are popularly elected statewide every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1970; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1972; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1968.

### House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "At-large," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.

## Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.

### Senate

* Replacements: 4
** Democratic: 2 seat net loss
** Republican: 2 seat net gain
* Deaths: 2
* Resignations: 2
* Total seats with changes: 5

### House of Representatives

* Replacements: 6
** Democratic: 1 seat net loss
** Republican: 1 seat net gain
* Deaths: 4
* Resignations: 4
* Expulsion: 1
* Total seats with changes: 9

## Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders for members of the House and Senate committees can be found through the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of this article. The directory after the pages of terms of service lists committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and, after that, House/Senate committee assignments. On the committees section of the House and Senate in the Official Congressional Directory, the committee's members on the first row on the left side shows the chairman of the committee and on the right side shows the ranking member of the committee.

### Senate

* Aeronautical and Space Sciences (Chair: Clinton P. Anderson; Ranking Member: Margaret Chase Smith)
* Agriculture and Forestry (Chair: Allen J. Ellender; Ranking Member: George D. Aiken)
* Appropriations (Chair: Carl Hayden; Ranking Member: Milton R. Young)
* Armed Services (Chair: Richard B. Russell; Ranking Member: Margaret Chase Smith)
* Banking and Currency (Chair: John J. Sparkman; Ranking Member: Wallace F. Bennett)
* Commerce (Chair: Warren G. Magnuson; Ranking Member: Norris Cotton)
* District of Columbia (Chair: Alan Bible; Ranking Member: Winston L. Prouty)
* Finance (Chair: Russell B. Long; Ranking Member: John J. Williams)
* Foreign Relations (Chair: J. William Fulbright; Ranking Member: Bourke B. Hickenlooper)
* Government Operations (Chair: John Little McClellan; Ranking Member: Karl E. Mundt)
* Interior and Insular Affairs (Chair: Henry M. Jackson; Ranking Member: Thomas H. Kuchel)
* Judiciary (Chair: James O. Eastland; Ranking Member: Everett Dirksen)
* Nutrition and Human Needs (Select) (Chair: George S. McGovern; Ranking Member: )
* Organization of Congress (Select) (Chair: [data missing]; Ranking Member: [data missing])
* Post Office and Civil Service (Chair: Mike Monroney; Ranking Member: Frank Carlson)
* Public Works (Chair: Jennings Randolph; Ranking Member: John Sherman Cooper)
* Rules and Administration (Chair: B. Everett Jordan; Ranking Member: Carl T. Curtis)
* Small Business (Select) (Chair: George A. Smathers)
* Standards and Conduct (Select) (Chair: John C. Stennis)
* Whole

### House of Representatives

* Agriculture (Chair: William R. Poage; Ranking Member: Page Belcher)
* Appropriations (Chair: George H. Mahon; Ranking Member: Frank T. Bow)
* Armed Services (Chair: L. Mendel Rivers; Ranking Member: William H. Bates)
* Banking and Currency (Chair: Wright Patman; Ranking Member: William B. Widnall)
* District of Columbia (Chair: John L. McMillan; Ranking Member: Ancher Nelsen)
* Education and Labor (Chair: Carl D. Perkins; Ranking Member: William H. Ayres)
* Foreign Affairs (Chair: Thomas E. Morgan; Ranking Member: Frances P. Bolton)
* Government Operations (Chair: William L. Dawson; Ranking Member: Florence P. Dwyer)
* House Administration (Chair: Omar Burleson; Ranking Member: Glenard P. Lipscomb)
* House Beauty Shop (Select) (Chair: Martha W. Griffiths)
* Interior and Insular Affairs (Chair: Wayne N. Aspinall; Ranking Member: John P. Saylor)
* Interstate and Foreign Commerce (Chair: Harley O. Staggers; Ranking Member: William L. Springer)
* Judiciary (Chair: Emanuel Celler; Ranking Member: William M. McCulloch)
* Merchant Marine and Fisheries (Chair: Edward A. Garmatz; Ranking Member: William S. Mailliard)
* Post Office and Civil Service (Chair: Thaddeus J. Dulski; Ranking Member: Robert J. Corbett)
* Public Works (Chair: George Hyde Fallon; Ranking Member: William C. Cramer)
* Rules (Chair: William M. Colmer; Ranking Member: H. Allen Smith)
* Science and Astronautics (Chair: George Paul Miller; Ranking Member: James G. Fulton)
* Small Business (Select) (Chair: Joe L. Evins)
* Standards of Official Conduct (Chair: Charles Melvin Price)
* Un-American Activities (Chair: Edwin E. Willis; Ranking Member: John M. Ashbrook)
* Veterans' Affairs (Chair: Olin E. Teague; Ranking Member: E. Ross Adair)
* Ways and Means (Chair: Wilbur D. Mills; Ranking Member: John W. Byrnes)
* Whole

### Joint committees

* Atomic Energy (Chair: Sen. John O. Pastore; Vice Chair: Rep. Chet Holifield)
* Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special) (Chair: [data missing]; Vice Chair: [data missing])
* Defense Production (Chair: Rep. Wright Patman; Vice Chair: Sen. John J. Sparkman)
* Disposition of Executive Papers
* Economic (Chair: Sen. William Proxmire; Vice Chair: Rep. Wright Patman)
* Immigration and Nationality Policy (Chair: Rep. Michael A. Feighan)
* Legislative Budget
* The Library (Chair: Sen. B. Everett Jordan; Vice Chair: Rep. Omar Burleson)
* Navajo-Hopi Indian Administration
* Printing (Chair: Sen. Carl Hayden; Vice Chair: Rep. Omar Burleson)
* Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures (Chair: Rep. George H. Mahon)
* Taxation (Chair: Rep. Wilbur D. Mills; Vice Chair: Sen. Russell B. Long)

## Employees
### Legislative branch agency directors

* Architect of the Capitol: J. George Stewart
* Attending Physician of the United States Congress: Rufus Pearson
* Comptroller General of the United States: Elmer B. Staats
* Librarian of Congress: Lawrence Quincy Mumford
* Public Printer of the United States: James L. Harrison

### Senate

* Chaplain: Frederick Brown Harris (Methodist)
* Curator: Joseph Dougherty, until 1968
** Richard A. Baker (acting), from 1968
* Parliamentarian: Floyd Riddick
* Secretary: Francis R. Valeo
* Librarian: Richard D. Hupman
* Democratic Party Secretary: J. Stanley Kimmitt
* Republican Party Secretary: J. Mark Trice
* Sergeant at Arms: Robert G. Dunphy

### House of Representatives

* Chaplain: Edward G. Latch (Methodist)
* Clerk: W. Pat Jennings
* Doorkeeper: William M. Miller
* Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
* Postmaster: H. H. Morris
* Reading Clerks: Charles W. Hackney Jr. (D) and Joe Bartlett (R)
* Sergeant at Arms: Zeake W. Johnson Jr.