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.
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
January 20, 2005 — President George W. Bush began his second term.
November 7, 2006 — California Representative Nancy Pelosi and Nevada Senator Harry Reid led the Democratic Party in taking control of both the House and the Senate in the 2006 congressional elections, the first time in 12 years the Democrats secure control of both houses of Congress simultaneously.
Prominent events included the filibuster "nuclear option" scare, the failure of the federal government to promptly respond to Hurricane Katrina disaster relief, the Tom DeLay corruption investigation, Plamegate, the rising unpopularity of the Iraq War, the 2006 immigration reform protests and government involvement in the Terri Schiavo case.
In addition to the DeLay indictment, this Congress also had a number of scandals: Bob Ney, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, William J. Jefferson, Mark Foley scandal, and the Jack Abramoff scandals.
This Congress met for 242 days, the fewest since World War II and 12 days fewer than the 80th Congress. As the Congress neared its conclusion, some media commentators labelled this the "Do Nothing Congress", a pejorative originally given to the 80th United States Congress by President Harry Truman, although the number of bills passed by Congress is no measure of its success.
The President vetoed only one bill, his first veto, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.
Major legislation
Enacted
February 17, 2005: Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–2 (text) (PDF)
March 21, 2005: Theresa Marie Schiavo's law, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–3 (text) (PDF)
April 20, 2005: Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–8 (text) (PDF)
April 27, 2005: Family Entertainment and Copyright Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–9 (text) (PDF)
May 11, 2005: Real ID Act of 2005, Pub.L. 109-13
July 9, 2005: Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005, Pub.L. 109-21
July 29, 2005: Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005, Pub.L. 109-41
August 2, 2005: Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (CAFTA Implementation Act), Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–53 (text) (PDF)
August 8, 2005: Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–58 (text) (PDF)
August 10, 2005: Transportation Equity Act of 2005, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–59 (text) (PDF)
October 26, 2005: Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–92 (text) (PDF)
December 1, 2005: Caribbean National Forest Act of 2005, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–118 (text) (PDF)
December 20, 2005: Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, Pub.L. 109-129
December 22, 2005: Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–145 (text) (PDF)
December 30, 2005: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–148 (text) (PDF)
January 11, 2006: United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, Pub.L. 109-169
February 8, 2006: Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–171 (text) (PDF)
February 15, 2006: Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act, Pub.L. 109-173
March 8, 2006: USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2006, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–177 (text) (PDF)
May 17, 2006: Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–222 (text) (PDF)
May 29, 2006: Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–228 (text) (PDF)
June 15, 2006: Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005, Pub.L. 109-235
July 24, 2006: Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, Pub.L. 109-243
July 27, 2006: Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006, Pub.L. 109-246
July 27, 2006: Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–248 (text) (PDF)
August 17, 2006: Pension Protection Act of 2006, Pub.L. 109-280
September 26, 2006: Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–282 (text) (PDF)
September 26, 2006: United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, Pub.L. 109-283
September 29, 2006: Credit Rating Agency Reform Act, Pub.L. 109-291
September 30, 2006: Iran Freedom and Support Act, Pub.L. 109-293
October 4, 2006: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007, Pub.L. 109-295
October 6, 2006: Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act of 2006, Pub.L. 109-308
October 6, 2006: Trademark Dilution Revision Act, Pub.L. 109-312
October 13, 2006: Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, Pub.L. 109-344
October 13, 2006: Safe Port Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–347 (text) (PDF), including title VIII, Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006
October 17, 2006: John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, Pub.L. 109-364
October 17, 2006: Military Commissions Act of 2006, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–366 (text) (PDF)
October 26, 2006: Secure Fence Act of 2006, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–367 (text) (PDF)
November 27, 2006: Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, Pub.L. 109-374
December 14, 2006: Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006, Pub.L. 109-394
December 19, 2006: Combating Autism Act of 2006, Pub.L. 109-416
December 19, 2006: Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, Pub.L. 109-417
December 20, 2006: Tax Relief and Health Act of 2006, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–432 (text) (PDF)
December 20, 2006: Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–435 (text) (PDF)
December 20, 2006: Stolen Valor Act of 2005, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–437 (text) (PDF)
January 12, 2007: Johanna's Law, Pub.L. 109-475
January 12, 2007: Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act of 2006, Pub.L. 109-476
Proposed, but not enacted
H.R. 554 — Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act
H.R. 810 — Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 (Vetoed)
H.R. 1505 — Jessica Lunsford Act
H.R. 4437 — Border Protection, Anti-terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005
H.R. 4569 — Digital Transition Content Security Act
S. 147 — Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005 (Akaka Bill)
S. 2611 — Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006
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
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.
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.)
Steering Committee Co-Chairs: Rosa DeLauro, George Miller
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
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.
Senate
Aging (Special) (Gordon H. Smith, Chair; Herb Kohl, Ranking Member)
Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry (Saxby Chambliss, Chair; Tom Harkin, Ranking Member)