# 74th United States Congress

The 74th 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, 1935, to January 3, 1937, during the third and fourth years of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1930 United States census.
The Democrats increased their majorities in both the House and Senate, resulting in a supermajority in both chambers, and along with President Franklin D. Roosevelt maintained an overall federal government trifecta.

## Major events

* April 14, 1935: Dust Bowl: The great dust storm hit eastern New Mexico, Colorado, and western Oklahoma
* May 6, 1935: Executive Order 7034 created the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
* May 27, 1935: Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States: the U.S. Supreme Court declared the National Industrial Recovery Act unconstitutional
* June 12, 1935 – June 13, 1935: Senator Huey Long gave the second longest filibuster speech in Senate history up to that time, 15 hours and 30 minutes to retain a provision, opposed by President Franklin Roosevelt, requiring Senate confirmation for the National Recovery Administration's senior employees.
* July 1, 1935: Charles Watkins was appointed as the first officially recognized Parliamentarian of the United States Senate.
* September 10, 1935: Senator Huey Long of Louisiana died, as the result of being shot by an assassin on September 8.
* March 1, 1936: Construction of Hoover Dam was completed.
* March 2, 1936: Judge Halsted L. Ritter impeached by the U.S. House (H.Res. 422)
* April 17, 1936: Judge Halsted L. Ritter convicted by the U.S. Senate
* June 4, 1936: Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Jo Byrns died. William B. Bankhead was then elected later that day.
* November 3, 1936: General elections
** President: Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) was reelected with 60.8% of the vote over Alf Landon (R).
** Senate: Democrats gained 5 net seats during the election, and in combination with Democratic and Farmer–Labor interim appointments and the defection of George W. Norris from the Republican Party to become independent, the Republicans were reduced to 16 seats, the most lopsided Senate since Reconstruction.
** House: Democrats gained twelve more net seats from the Republicans, bringing them above a three-fourths majority. This was the largest majority since Reconstruction. The last time a party won so decisively was in 1866.
* November 25, 1936: Abraham Lincoln Brigade sailed from New York City on its way to the Spanish Civil War

## Major legislation

* April 27, 1935: Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, Sess. 1, ch. 85, 49 Stat. 163
* July 5, 1935: National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act), Sess. 1, ch. 372, 49 Stat. 449
* August 9, 1935: Motor Carrier Act, Sess. 1, ch. 498, 49 Stat. 546 (renamed part II of the Interstate Commerce Act)
* August 14, 1935: Social Security Act, including Aid to Dependent Children, Old Age Pension Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 74–271, Sess. 1, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620
* August 23, 1935: Banking Act of 1935 49 Stat. 694
* August 26, 1935: Public Utility Act (including: Title I: Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, Title II: Federal Power Act), Sess. 1, ch. 687, 49 Stat. 803
* August 30, 1935: Revenue Act of 1935, Sess. 1, ch. 829, 49 Stat. 1014
* August 31, 1935: Neutrality Act of 1935, Sess. 1, ch. 837, 49 Stat. 1081
* February 29, 1936: Neutrality Act of 1936, Sess. 2, ch. 106, 49 Stat. 1153
* May 20, 1936: Rural Electrification Act, Sess. 2, ch. 432, 49 Stat. 1363
* June 15, 1936: Commodity Exchange Act, Sess. 2, ch. 545, 49 Stat. 1491
* June 19, 1936: Robinson Patman Act, Sess. 2, ch. 592, 49 Stat. 1526
* June 22, 1936: Flood Control Act of 1936, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 74–738, Sess. 2, ch. 688
* June 29, 1936: Merchant Marine Act, Sess. 2, ch. 250, 49 Stat. 1985
* June 30, 1936: Walsh–Healey Public Contracts Act, Sess. 2, ch. 881, 49 Stat. 2036

## Party summary
### Senate

| | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant |
| | Democratic (D) | Farmer– Labor (FL) | Wisconsin Progressive (P) | Republican (R) | Other | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous congress | 60 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 96 | 0 |
| Begin | 68 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 95 | 1 |
| End | 72 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 96 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 75.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 22.9% | 0.0% | | |
| Beginning of next congress | 75 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 95 | 1 |

### House

| | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant |
| | Democratic (D) | Farmer– Labor (FL) | Wisconsin Progressive (P) | Republican (R) | Other | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous congress | 309 | 5 | 0 | 113 | 0 | 427 | 8 |
| Begin | 322 | 3 | 7 | 102 | 0 | 434 | 1 |
| End | 308 | 3 | 7 | 100 | 0 | 418 | 17 |
| Final voting share | 73.7% | 0.7% | 1.7% | 23.9% | 0.0% | | |
| Beginning of next congress | 333 | 5 | 7 | 89 | 1 | 435 | 0 |

## Leaders

Section contents: Senate: Majority (D), Minority (R) • House: Majority (D), Minority (R)

### Senate

* President: John N. Garner (D)
* President pro tempore: Key Pittman (D)

#### Majority (Democratic) leadership

* Majority leader: Joseph T. Robinson
* Assistant majority leader (Majority whip): J. Hamilton Lewis
* Democratic Caucus Secretary: Hugo Black

#### Minority (Republican) leadership

* Minority leader: Charles L. McNary
* Assistant Minority leader (Minority whip): None
* Republican Conference Secretary: Frederick Hale
* National Senatorial Committee Chair: Daniel O. Hastings then John G. Townsend Jr.

### House of Representatives

* Speaker: Jo Byrns (D), died June 4, 1936
** William B. Bankhead (D), elected June 4, 1936

#### Majority (Democratic) leadership

* Majority leader:
** William B. Bankhead, until June 4, 1936
** John J. O'Connor
* Majority whip: Patrick J. Boland
* Democratic Caucus Chairman: Edward T. Taylor
* Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Patrick H. Drewry

#### Minority (Republican) leadership

* Minority leader: Bertrand H. Snell
* Minority whip: Harry L. Englebright
* Republican Conference Chairman: Frederick R. Lehlbach
* Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Joseph W. Martin Jr.

## Members
### 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 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1936; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1938; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1940.

### House of Representatives

The names of members are preceded by their district numbers.
* Alabama
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming
* Non-voting members

## Changes of membership

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

### House of Representatives
## 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.

### Joint committees

* Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
* Disposition of (Useless) Executive Papers
* The Library (Chairman: Sen. Alben W. Barkley; Vice Chairman: Rep. )
* Printing (Chairman: Sen. Duncan U. Fletcher; Vice Chairman: Rep. J. Walter Lambeth)
* Taxation (Chairman: Rep. Robert L. Doughton; Vice Chairman: Sen. Pat Harrison)

## Caucuses

* Democratic (House)
* Democratic (Senate)

## Employees
### Legislative branch agency directors

* Architect of the Capitol: David Lynn
* Attending Physician of the United States Congress: George Calver
* Comptroller General of the United States: John R. McCarl, until June 30, 1936
** vacant thereafter
* Librarian of Congress: Herbert Putnam
* Public Printer of the United States: Augustus E. Giegengack

### Senate

* Secretary: Edwin A. Halsey
* Librarian: Ruskin McArdle
* Chaplain: ZeBarney Thorne Phillips (Episcopalian)
* Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins, from 1935
* Sergeant at Arms: Chesley W. Jurney
* Democratic Party Secretary: Leslie Biffle
* Republican Party Secretary: Carl A. Loeffler

### House of Representatives

* Clerk: South Trimble
* Doorkeeper: Joseph J. Sinnott
* Postmaster: Finis E. Scott
* Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
* Reading Clerks: Patrick Joseph Haltigan (D) (until 1936) and Alney E. Chaffee (R)
* Sergeant at Arms: Kenneth Romney
* Chaplain: James Shera Montgomery - Methodist