The 104th 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. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1995, to January 3, 1997, during the third and fourth years of Bill Clinton's presidency. Apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1990 United States census.
Both chambers had Republican majorities for the first time since the 83rd Congress in 1953. Major events included passage of elements of the Contract with America and a budget impasse between Congress and the Clinton administration that resulted in the federal government shutdown of 1995 and 1996.
Major events
January 3, 1995: Republicans gained control of both houses for the first time since 1955. January 31, 1995: President Clinton invoked emergency powers to extend a $20 billion loan to help Mexico avert financial collapse. April 19, 1995: Oklahoma City bombing August 30, 1995: NATO began Operation Deliberate Force against Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina November 14–19, 1995: U.S. government shutdown December 16, 1995 – January 6, 1996: U.S. government shutdown November 5, 1996: Re-election of President Bill Clinton; Democrats gained 8 seats in House; Republicans gained 2 seats in Senate. First session of Congress where 3 sitting members of Congress had given birth, Enid Greene Waldholtz, Susan Molinari, and Blanche Lincoln.
Major legislation
January 23, 1995: Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, March 22, 1995: Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, Pub.L. 104-4 April 10, 1995: Mexican Debt Disclosure Act of 1995, , May 22, 1995: Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub.L. 104-13 November 8, 1995: Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, Pub.L. 104-45 November 28, 1995: National Highway System Designation Act of 1995, , December 19, 1995: Lobbying Disclosure Act, , , December 22, 1995: Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, , December 28, 1995: Housing for Older Persons Act, Pub.L. 104-76 December 29, 1995: ICC Termination Act of 1995, Pub.L. 104-88 January 16, 1996: Federal Trademark Dilution Act, Pub.L. 104-98 February 8, 1996: Telecommunications Act of 1996 (including the Communications Decency Act), , , March 12, 1996: Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996 (Helms-Burton Act), , , March 29, 1996: Congressional Review Act April 4, 1996: Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act of 1996, Pub.L. 104-127 April 9, 1996: Line Item Veto Act, , April 24, 1996: Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, , April 26, 1996: District of Columbia School Reform Act of 1995 May 13, 1996: Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act, Pub.L. 104-142 May 17, 1996: Megan's Law, July 30, 1996: Taxpayer Bill of Rights 2, , August 3, 1996: National Gambling Impact Study Commission Act, , August 3, 1996: Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, , , August 5, 1996: Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996, Pub.L. 104-172 August 20, 1996: Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996, , August 21, 1996: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), , August 21, 1996: War Crimes Act of 1996, Pub.L. 104-192 August 22, 1996: Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (Welfare Reform Act), , September 21, 1996: Defense of Marriage Act, , September 26, 1996; Mental Health Parity Act, Pub.L. 104-204 September 30, 1996: Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997 (Includes Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban, Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996; Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996) , September 30, 1996: Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, , September 30, 1996: Library Services and Technology Act October 1, 1996: Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, , October 3, 1996: Comprehensive Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996, Pub.L. 104-237 October 9, 1996: Helium Privatization Act of 1996, Pub.L. 104-273 October 9, 1996: Animal Drug Availability Act 1996, October 11, 1996: National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, Pub.L. 104-290 October 11, 1996: Economic Espionage Act of 1996, Pub.L. 104-294 October 11, 1996: Health Center Consolidation Act, , October 12, 1996: Water Resources Development Act of 1996, , October 20, 1996: United States Commemorative Coin Act of 1996, Pub.L. 104-329 October 26, 1996: Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996, Pub.L. 104-330 October 26, 1996: National Invasive Species Act, Pub.L. 104-332
Party summary
Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
President: Al Gore (D) President pro tempore: Strom Thurmond (R)
Majority (Republican) leadership Majority Leader: Bob Dole, until June 11, 1996 Trent Lott, starting June 12, 1996 Majority Whip: Trent Lott, until June 11, 1996 Don Nickles, starting June 12, 1996 Republican Conference Chairman: Thad Cochran Republican Conference Secretary: Connie Mack III Republican Campaign Committee Chair: Al D'Amato Republican Policy Committee Chairman: Don Nickles, until June 12, 1996 Larry Craig, starting June 12, 1996
Minority (Democratic) leadership Minority Leader: Tom Daschle Minority Whip: Wendell Ford Policy Committee Co-Chairs: Tom Daschle and Harry Reid Democratic Conference Secretary: Barbara Mikulski Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Bob Kerrey Chief Deputy Whip: John Breaux
House of Representatives
Speaker: Newt Gingrich (R)
Majority (Republican) leadership Majority Leader: Dick Armey Majority Vice of House: Tom DeLay Chief Deputy Whip: Dennis Hastert Republican Conference Chairman: John Boehner Republican Conference Vice-Chairwoman: Susan Molinari Republican Conference Secretary: Barbara Vucanovich Policy Committee Chairman: Christopher Cox Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Bill Paxon
Minority (Democratic) leadership Minority Leader: Dick Gephardt Minority Whip: David Bonior Chief Deputy Minority Whips: Rosa DeLauro, John Lewis, & Bill Richardson Democratic Caucus Chairman: Vic Fazio Democratic Caucus Vice-Chairman: Barbara B. Kennelly Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Martin Frost
Caucuses Armenian Caucus Biomedical Research Caucus Blue Dog Coalition Congressional Arts Caucus Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Congressional Automotive Caucus Congressional Bike Caucus Congressional Black Caucus Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans Congressional Caucus on Korea Congressional Fire Services Caucus Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus Congressional Hispanic Caucus Congressional Motorsports Caucus Congressional Pediatric & Adult Hydrocephalus Caucus Congressional Progressive Caucus Congressional Portuguese-American Caucus Congressional Travel & Tourism Caucus Congressional Western Caucus Congresswomen's Caucus Hong Kong Caucus House Democratic Caucus Law Enforcement Caucus Northern Border Caucus Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus Senate Democratic Caucus
Members Skip to House of Representatives, below
Senate
In this Congress, Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1996; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1998; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 2000.
Alabama 2. Howell Heflin (D) 3. Richard Shelby (R)
Alaska 2. Ted Stevens (R) 3. Frank Murkowski (R)
Arizona 1. Jon Kyl (R) 3. John McCain (R)
Arkansas 2. David Pryor (D) 3. Dale Bumpers (D)
California 1. Dianne Feinstein (D) 3. Barbara Boxer (D)
Colorado 2. Hank Brown (R) 3. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (D, then R)
Connecticut 1. Joe Lieberman (D) 3. Chris Dodd (D)
Delaware 1. William Roth (R) 2. Joe Biden (D)
Florida 1. Connie Mack III (R) 3. Bob Graham (D)
Georgia 2. Sam Nunn (D) 3. Paul Coverdell (R)
Hawaii 1. Daniel Akaka (D) 3. Daniel Inouye (D)
Idaho 2. Larry Craig (R) 3. Dirk Kempthorne (R)
Illinois 2. Paul Simon (D) 3. Carol Moseley-Braun (D)
Indiana 1. Dick Lugar (R) 3. Dan Coats (R)
Iowa 2. Tom Harkin (D) 3. Chuck Grassley (R)
Kansas 2. Nancy Kassebaum (R) 3. Bob Dole (R), until June 11, 1996 Sheila Frahm (R), June 11, 1996 – November 6, 1996 Sam Brownback (R), from November 6, 1996
Kentucky 2. Mitch McConnell (R) 3. Wendell Ford (D)
Louisiana 2. J. Bennett Johnston (D) 3. John Breaux (D)
Maine 1. Olympia Snowe (R) 2. William Cohen (R)
Maryland 1. Paul Sarbanes (D) 3. Barbara Mikulski (D)
Massachusetts 1. Ted Kennedy (D) 2. John Kerry (D)
Michigan 1. Spencer Abraham (R) 2. Carl Levin (D)
Minnesota 1. Rod Grams (R) 2. Paul Wellstone (DFL)
Mississippi 1. Trent Lott (R) 2. Thad Cochran (R)
Missouri 1. John Ashcroft (R) 3. Kit Bond (R)
Montana 1. Conrad Burns (R) 2. Max Baucus (D)
Nebraska 1. Bob Kerrey (D) 2. J. James Exon (D)
Nevada 1. Richard Bryan (D) 3. Harry Reid (D)
New Hampshire 2. Bob Smith (R) 3. Judd Gregg (R)
New Jersey 1. Frank Lautenberg (D) 2. Bill Bradley (D)
New Mexico 1. Jeff Bingaman (D) 2. Pete Domenici (R)
New York 1. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D) 3. Al D'Amato (R)
North Carolina 2. Jesse Helms (R) 3. Lauch Faircloth (R)
North Dakota 1. Kent Conrad (D-NPL) 3. Byron Dorgan (D-NPL)
Ohio 1. Mike DeWine (R) 3. John Glenn (D)
Oklahoma 2. Jim Inhofe (R) 3. Don Nickles (R)
Oregon 2. Mark Hatfield (R) 3. Bob Packwood (R), until October 1, 1995 Ron Wyden (D), from February 6, 1996
Pennsylvania 1. Rick Santorum (R) 3. Arlen Specter (R)
Rhode Island 1. John Chafee (R) 2. Claiborne Pell (D)
South Carolina 2. Strom Thurmond (R) 3. Fritz Hollings (D)
South Dakota 2. Larry Pressler (R) 3. Tom Daschle (D)
Tennessee 1. Bill Frist (R) 2. Fred Thompson (R)
Texas 1. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) 2. Phil Gramm (R)
Utah 1. Orrin Hatch (R) 3. Bob Bennett (R)
Vermont 1. Jim Jeffords (R) 3. Patrick Leahy (D)
Virginia 1. Chuck Robb (D) 2. John Warner (R)
Washington 1. Slade Gorton (R) 3. Patty Murray (D)
West Virginia 1. Robert Byrd (D) 2. Jay Rockefeller (D)
Wisconsin 1. Herb Kohl (D) 3. Russ Feingold (D)
Wyoming 1. Craig L. Thomas (R) 2. Alan Simpson (R)
House of Representatives
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
Alabama . Sonny Callahan (R) . Terry Everett (R) . Glen Browder (D) . Tom Bevill (D) . Robert E. Cramer (D) . Spencer Bachus (R) . Earl Hilliard (D)
Alaska . Don Young (R)
Arizona . Matt Salmon (R) . Ed Pastor (D) . Bob Stump (R) . John Shadegg (R) . Jim Kolbe (R) . J. D. Hayworth (R)
Arkansas . Blanche Lincoln (D) . Ray Thornton (D), until January 1, 1997 . Tim Hutchinson (R), until January 2, 1997 . Jay Dickey (R)
California . Frank Riggs (R) . Wally Herger (R) . Vic Fazio (D) . John Doolittle (R) . Bob Matsui (D) . Lynn Woolsey (D) . George Miller (D) . Nancy Pelosi (D) . Ron Dellums (D) . William P. Baker (R) . Richard Pombo (R) . Tom Lantos (D) . Pete Stark (D) . Anna Eshoo (D) . Norman Mineta (D), until October 10, 1995 Tom Campbell (R), from December 12, 1995 . Zoe Lofgren (D) . Sam Farr (D) . Gary Condit (D) . George Radanovich (R) . Cal Dooley (D) . Bill Thomas (R) . Andrea Seastrand (R) . Elton Gallegly (R) . Anthony Beilenson (D) . Buck McKeon (R) . Howard Berman (D) . Carlos Moorhead (R) . David Dreier (R) . Henry Waxman (D) . Xavier Becerra (D) . Matthew G. Martínez (D) . Julian Dixon (D) . Lucille Roybal-Allard (D) . Esteban Edward Torres (D) . Maxine Waters (D) . Jane Harman (D) . Walter R. Tucker III (D), until December 15, 1995 Juanita Millender-McDonald (D), from March 26, 1996 . Steve Horn (R) . Ed Royce (R) . Jerry Lewis (R) . Jay Kim (R) . George Brown Jr. (D) . Ken Calvert (R) . Sonny Bono (R) . Dana Rohrabacher (R) . Bob Dornan (R) . Christopher Cox (R) . Ron Packard (R) . Brian Bilbray (R)