84th Congress (1955 - 1957)

House of Representatives

House Majority: Democrat

House Majority Seats: 232 out of 435

House Speaker: Rep. Sam Rayburn (D-TX)

Senate

Senate Majority: Democrat

Senate Majority Seats: 49 out of 96

Senate Majority Leader: Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX)

Executive

President: Dwight D. Eisenhower (R-KS)

Vice President: Richard M. Nixon (R-CA)

Member Spotlight

Featured: Sen. Paul Douglas (D-IL) was a respected intellectual and reform-minded lawmaker who served in the U.S. Senate from 1949 to 1967. A former economics professor and World War II veteran, Douglas became known for his principled stands on fiscal responsibility, civil rights, and government ethics. His sharp wit and moral clarity often colored his floor speeches, as reflected in his quip, “Mr. President, I again ask for the yeas and nays. Every man has a right to commit suicide,” delivered during a heated Senate debate to underscore the gravity of a controversial vote. Douglas’s career embodied an ideal of public service guided by conscience, scholarship, and courage.

Enactments

• Formosa and Pescadores Defense Act
• Reciprocal Trade Act
• Mutual Security Act of 1955
• In God We Trust Motto on Currency
• Air Pollution Control Act of 1955
• Mutual Security Appropriations Act of 1955
• Reserve Forces Act of 1955
• Poliomyelitis Vaccination Assistance Act of 1955
• Minimum Wage Increase
• Upper Colorado River Project
• Bank Holding Company Act
• Soil Bank Act
• Department of Agriculture Appropriations Act of 1956
• Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 1956
• Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956
• Defense Appropriations Act of 1956
• Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1956
• Narcotics Control Act
• Health Research Facilities Act of 1956
• In God We Trust Official Motto Adopted
• Mutual Security Appropriations Act of 1956
• Social Security Amendments of 1956
• Servicemen's and Veteran's Survivor Benefits Act
• Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956