109th United States Congress

2005-2007 U.S. legislative term From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 109th 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, from January 3, 2005, to January 3, 2007, during the fifth and sixth years of George W. Bush's presidency. House members were elected in the 2004 elections on November 2, 2004. Senators were elected in three classes in the 2000 elections on November 7, 2000, 2002 elections on November 5, 2002, or 2004 elections on November 2, 2004. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 2000 United States census.

Members100 senators
435 representatives
5 non-voting delegates
Quick facts January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007, Members ...
109th United States Congress
108th 
 110th

January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007
Members100 senators
435 representatives
5 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityRepublican
Senate PresidentDick Cheney (R)
House majorityRepublican
House SpeakerDennis Hastert (R)
Sessions
1st: January 4, 2005 – December 22, 2005
2nd: January 3, 2006 – December 8, 2006
Close
House of Representatives member pin for the 109th U.S. Congress

This is the most recent Congress to feature a Republican senator from Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee, who lost re-election in 2006.

The Republicans maintained control of both the House and the Senate (slightly increasing their majority in both chambers), and with the reelection of President Bush, the Republicans maintained an overall federal government trifecta.

Major events

Major legislation

Enacted

President George W. Bush signing the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, on September 26, 2006.
With Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) looking on, President George W. Bush signs into law Pub. L. 109–353 (text) (PDF), the North Korea Nonproliferation Act of 2006, on October 13, 2006.

Proposed, but not enacted

More information: Complete index of Public and Private Laws for 109th Congress at U.S. Government Printing Office

Hearings

  • Congressional response to the NSA warrantless surveillance program (Senate Judiciary; House Intelligence; Democrats of the House Judiciary)

Party summary

Senate

Party standings in the Senate throughout the 109th Congress
  44 Democratic senators
  55 Republican senators
  1 Independent senator, caucusing with Democrats

The party summary for the Senate remained the same during the entire 109th Congress. On January 16, 2006, Democrat Jon Corzine resigned, but Democrat Bob Menendez was appointed and took Corzine's seat the next day.

More information Party (shading shows control), Total ...
Party
(shading shows control)
Total Vacant
Democratic
(D)
Independent
(I)
Republican
(R)
End of previous congress 48 1 51 100 0
Begin 44 1 55 100 0
End
Final voting share 44.0% 1.0% 55.0%
Beginning of next congress 49 2 49 100 0
Close

House of Representatives

Due to resignations and special elections, Republicans lost a net of three seats; Democrats gained one seat; three seats were left vacant; and one seat which was vacant at the beginning of the Congress was filled. All seats were filled though special elections. (See Changes in membership, below.)

More information Affiliation, Party (Shading shows control) ...
Affiliation Party
(Shading shows control)
Total
Democratic Independent Republican Vacant
End of previous Congress 204 1 227 432 3
Begin 201 1 232 434 1
March 10, 2005 202 435 0
April 29, 2005 231 434 1
August 2, 2005 230 433 2
September 6, 2005 231 434 1
December 1, 2005 230 433 2
December 7, 2005 231 434 1
January 16, 2006 201 433 2
June 9, 2006 230 432 3
June 13, 2006 231 433 2
September 29, 2006 230 432 3
November 3, 2006 229 431 4
November 13, 2006 202 230 433 2
December 31, 2006 229 432 3
Final voting share 47.0% 53.0%
Non-voting members 4 1 0 5 0
Beginning of next Congress 233 0 202 435 0
Close

Leadership

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

Senate

Senate President
Senate President pro tempore

Majority (Republican) leadership

Minority (Democratic) leadership

House of Representatives

Speaker of the House

Majority (Republican) leadership

Minority (Democratic) leadership

Members

Senate

In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 2006; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 2008; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 2010.

House of Representatives

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Changes in membership

Members who came and left during this Congress.

Senate

More information State (class), Vacated by ...
Senate changes
State
(class)
Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[a]
New Jersey
(1)
Jon Corzine (D) Incumbent resigned to become Governor of New Jersey on January 17, 2006.
Successor appointed on January 18, 2006, and later elected for a full six-year term.
Bob Menendez (D) January 18, 2006
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House of Representatives

More information District, Vacated by ...
House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[a]
California 5th None Representative Bob Matsui (D) died January 1, 2005, before the end of the previous Congress.
A special election was held March 8, 2005.
Doris Matsui (D) March 10, 2005
Ohio 2nd Rob Portman (R) Incumbent resigned April 29, 2005, to become the United States Trade Representative.
A special election was held August 2, 2005.
Jean Schmidt (R) September 6, 2005[11]
California 48th Christopher Cox (R) Incumbent resigned August 2, 2005, to become chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
A special election was held December 6, 2005.
John Campbell (R) December 7, 2005[12]
California 50th Duke Cunningham (R) Incumbent resigned December 1, 2005, after pleading guilty to conspiracy for bribes and tax evasion.
A special election was held June 6, 2006.
Brian Bilbray (R) June 13, 2006[13]
New Jersey 13th Bob Menendez (D) Incumbent resigned January 16, 2006 after being appointed a U.S. Senator.
A special election was held November 7, 2006.
Albio Sires (D) November 13, 2006[14]
Texas 22nd Tom DeLay (R) Incumbent resigned June 9, 2006, after a series of criminal indictments.
A special election was held November 6, 2006
Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (R) November 13, 2006[15]
Florida 16th Mark Foley (R) Incumbent resigned September 29, 2006, after a teen sex scandal. Remained vacant until the next Congress.[16]
Ohio 18th Bob Ney (R) Incumbent resigned November 3, 2006, after pleading guilty to conspiracy.
Nevada 2nd Jim Gibbons (R) Incumbent resigned December 31, 2006, to become Governor of Nevada.
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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

House of Representatives

Joint committees

Caucuses

Employees

See also

Notes

  1. When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

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