62nd Congress (1911 - 1913)

House of Representatives

House Majority: Democrat

House Majority Seats: 230 out of 394

House Speaker: Rep. James Beauchamp 'Champ' Clark (D-MO)

Senate

Senate Majority: Republican

Senate Majority Seats: 52 out of 96

Senate Majority Leader: (None)

Executive

President: William Howard Taft (R-OH)

Vice President: James S. Sherman (R-NY)

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Member Spotlight

Featured: Rep. William Rucker (D-MO), sponsor of the 17th Amendment, was a dedicated advocate for democratic reform and government accountability. Born in 1853, he served in the House of Representatives from 1899 to 1911, where he championed the direct election of senators as part of the broader Progressive Era push to reduce corruption and increase public participation in government. Rucker’s efforts reflected growing national sentiment against political machines and legislative control over Senate appointments. Though he left Congress before the amendment’s final ratification, his leadership helped pave the way for one of the most significant constitutional reforms of the twentieth century.

Enactments