97th Congress (1981 - 1983)
House of Representatives
House Majority: Democrat
House Majority Seats: 243 out of 435
House Speaker: Rep. Thomas P. 'Tip' O'Neill (D-MA)
Senate
Senate Majority: Republican
Senate Majority Seats: 53 out of 100
Senate Majority Leader: Sen. Howard H. Baker, Jr. (R-TN)
Executive
President: Ronald Reagan (R-CA)
Vice President: George H.W. Bush (R-TX)
Member Spotlight
Featured: Sen. Howard Baker Jr. (R-TN) was a highly respected statesman and a model of bipartisan leadership in the U.S. Senate. Serving from 1967 to 1985, he became Senate Minority and Majority Leader, earning a reputation for his calm demeanor, fairness, and political acumen. Reflecting on his approach to governance, Baker once said, “I increasingly believe that the essence of leadership, the essence of good Senate service, is the ability to be an eloquent listener, to hear and understand what your colleagues have to say, what your party has to say, what the country has to say ... and try to translate that into effective policy.” Known as the “Great Conciliator,” Baker’s career exemplified the art of measured, thoughtful leadership and the value of collaboration in the Senate.
Enactments
- Debt Limit Increase
- Oil Industry Antitrust Exemption
- Milk Price Supports
- Supplemental Appropriations and Recission Act, 1981
- Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services FY1981
- Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981
- Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981
- Fiscal 1981 Supplemental Defense Authorization
- Fiscal 1982 Continuing Appropriations
- Veterans' Health Care, Training, and Small Business Loan Act of 1981
- Further Continuing Appropriations Act FY 1982, Part 1
- Energy and Water Development Appropriations, Fiscal 1982
- District of Columbia Appropriation Act, 1982
- Further Continuing Appropriations Act FY 1982, Part 2
- Agriculture and Food Act of 1981
- Department of Interior and Related Appropriations Act for FY 1982
- HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriation Act for FY 1982
- Department of Transportation and Related Appropriations Act for FY 1982
- Department of Agriculture and Related Appropriations Act for FY 1982
- Military Construction Appropriation Act, 1982
- International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1981
- Department of Defense Appropriation Act, 1982
- Foreign Aid Appropriations, Fiscal 1982
- Social Security Act Amendments of 1981
- Export Administration Amendments Act of 1981
- Department of Agriculture Supplemental Appropriations Act FY 1982
- Department of Labor Supplemental Appropriations Act FY 1982
- Further Continuing Appropriations for FY 1982, Part 3
- Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982
- Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982
- Supplemental Appropriations Act for FY 1982
- Tobacco Program Revisions
- Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982
- Patent and Trademark Office Authorization
- Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982
- Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1983
- Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1982
- Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1982
- Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982
- Railway Labor-Management Dispute
- HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriation Act for FY 1983
- Continuing Appropriations Act FY 1983
- Reclamation Law Amendments
- Job Training Partnership Act of 1982
- Garn-St Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982
- Military Construction Appropriation Act, 1983
- Department of Transportation and Related Appropriations Act for FY 1983
- Department of Agriculture and Related Appropriations Act for FY 1983
- Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1983 (Boland Amendments)
- District of Columbia Appropriation Act of 1983
- Department of Interior and Related Appropriations Act for FY 1983
- Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982
- Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982
- Outside Income of Senators
- House Earned Income Limit
- Contempt of Congress Proceedings Against Anne M. Gorsuch
- Treasury Appropriations FY 1982
- Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations, Fiscal 1982.
- Fair Practices in Automotive Products Act
- Nuclear Arms Freeze
- Congressional Budget FY 1982
- Disapproving AWACs Sale.
- Justice Department Authorization
- Balanced Budget/Tax Limitation Amendment
- First Budget Resolution, Fiscal 1983