103rd United States Congress

The 103rd 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, 1993, to January 3, 1995, during the final weeks of George H. W. Bush's presidency and in the first two years of Bill Clinton's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1990 United States census.

This is the most recent Congress to have a Democratic senator from Texas, Bob Krueger, who lost election to finish Lloyd Bentsen's term in 1993. Along with two Democratic senators from the state of Tennessee, Jim Sasser and Harlan Mathews. Jim Sasser lost re-election and Harlan Mathews retired in 1994. In addition, a Democratic senator from the state of Oklahoma, David Boren, resigned in the final weeks of the Congress.

Both chambers maintained a Democratic majority, and with Bill Clinton being sworn in as president on January 20, 1993, this gave the Democrats an overall federal government trifecta for the first time since the 96th Congress in 1979.

Major events

January 20, 1993: Bill Clinton became the 42nd president of the United States.
February 17, 1993: President Clinton addressed a joint session of Congress
February 26, 1993: World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a van bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center exploded, killing 6 and injuring over 1,000.
February 28, 1993: Waco siege: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raided the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, with a warrant to arrest leader David Koresh on federal firearms violations. Four agents and 5 Davidians died in the raid.
April 19, 1993: Waco siege: The 51-day standoff ended with a fire that killed 76 people, including Koresh.
September 22, 1993: President Clinton addressed a joint session of Congress to promote health care reform.
October 3, 1993: Operation Gothic Serpent: In Mogadishu, Somalia, two U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawks were shot down and the operation left over 1000 Somalis dead and over 73 Americans WIA, 19 KIA, and 1 captured.
January 17, 1994: 1994 Northridge earthquake: A magnitude 6.7 quake hit the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles at 4:31 a.m., killing 72 and leaving 26,029 homeless.
February 22, 1994: Aldrich Ames and his wife were arrested for spying for the Soviet Union.
February 28, 1994: 4 United States fighter jets shot down 4 Serbian jets over Bosnia and Herzegovina for violating Operation Deny Flight and its no-fly zone.
September 19, 1994: Operation Uphold Democracy: American troops staged a bloodless invasion of Haiti to restore the elected president to power.
October 1, 1994: Palau achieved independence and became an associated state under the Compact of Free Association.
November 8, 1994: Republican Revolution: The Republican Party won control of both the House and the Senate in midterm congressional elections, the first time in 40 years the Republicans secured control of both houses of Congress.

Major legislation

February 5, 1993: Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, ,
May 20, 1993: National Voter Registration Act of 1993, ,
August 10, 1993: Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, ,
September 21, 1993: AmeriCorps, ,
November 16, 1993: Religious Freedom Restoration Act, ,
November 30, 1993: Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Brady Bill), , title I,
November 30, 1993: Don't ask, don't tell (as ÃÂ§ 574 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994), ,
December 8, 1993: North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, ,
December 17, 1993: FRIENDSHIP Act of 1993, ,
May 26, 1994: Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, ,
September 13, 1994: Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (including the Violence Against Women Act and the Federal Assault Weapons Ban), ,
September 29, 1994: RiegleÃ¢ÂÂNeal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994
October 20, 1994: Improving America's Schools Act of 1994,
October 25, 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act October 25 Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 (INTCA or H. R. 783), Pub. L. 10
October 31, 1994 California Desert Protection Act of 1994,
November 2, 1994 Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994

Party summary

Senate

House of Representatives

Leadership

Senate

President: Dan Quayle (R), until January 20, 1993
Al Gore (D), from January 20, 1993
President pro tempore: Robert Byrd (D)

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Majority Leader and Policy Committee Chairman: George Mitchell
Majority Whip: Wendell Ford
Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair: Bob Graham
Democratic Caucus Secretary: David Pryor
Policy Committee Co-Chair: Harry Reid
Chief Deputy Whip: John Breaux

Minority (Republican) leadership

House of Representatives

Speaker: Tom Foley (D)

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Minority (Republican) leadership

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.

Senate

Senators are popularly elected statewide every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress, In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1994; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1996; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1998.