FULL REPORT

Record of the Seventy-Third Congress First (Special) Session	June 16, 1933

Report Outline
Action on Roosevelt Program at Special Session
Legislation to Deal with Economic Emergencies
Agricultural and Conservation Measures
Unemployment Relief and Labor Legislation
The Budget, Beer, and Economy Measures
Permanent Legislation, Tariffs, and Treaties
Record Votes in the 73rd Congress
Outstanding Roll Calls in the House
Special Focus

Action on Roosevelt Program at Special Session

The Special Session of the 73rd Congress, which began on March 9 with enactment of the emergency banking act, came to a close on the morning of June 16, 1933, shortly after the passage by both houses of the national industrial recovery bill and final approval of a $3,610,000,000 measure to finance the new undertakings initiated during the session. The closing hours were marked by a sharp contest between the President and the Senate over the limitations to be imposed upon the authority previously granted to effect reductions in veterans' compensation. The Senate capitulated just before adjournment, approving, by a margin of nine votes, an administration compromise it had previously rejected. A last communication from the President thanked the Congress for “a more sincere and wholehearted cooperation” between the legislative and executive branches—which “in most cases transcended party lines”—than had been witnessed in many years.

Almost-the entire time of the special session was taken up with emergency measures. The only outstanding pieces of permanent legislation upon which final action was taken were the administration's securities bill, the Tennessee Valley Authority bill, the Wagner employment exchange bill, and the Glass-Steagall bank reform bill. The 73rd Congress—under the terms of the new 20th amendment to the Constitution—will not meet again until January 3, 1934, unless called into a second special session at an earlier date.

The dates on which action was taken on 15 major proposals for legislation submitted by President Roosevelt during the special session are shown below.

Legislation concerning:	Proposed	Approved by the House	Approved by the Senate	Approved by the President
Banking emergency	March 9	March 9	March 9	March 9
Government economy	March 10	March 11	March 15	March 20
Legalization of beer	March 13	March 14	March 16	March 22
Agricultural adjustment	March 16	March 22	April 28	May 12
Forest camps	March 21	March 29	March 28	March 31
Direct unemployment relief	March 21	April 21	March 30	May 12
Securities regulation	March 29	May 5	May 8	May 27
Farm mortgage relief	April 3	April 13	April 28	May 12
Tennessee Valley Authority	April 10	April 25	April 28	May 12
Loans to home owners	April 13	April 28	June 5	June 13
Inflation	April 19	May 3	April 28	May 12
Railroad reorganization	May 4	June 5	May 27	June 16
Industrial recovery	May 17	May 26	June 9	June 16
Control of oil industry	May 20	June 10	June 8	June 16
Gold clause invalidation	May 26	May 29	June 3	June 5

Many of the measures enacted in response to requests from the President were limited in their operation to one or two years. Most of the new agencies created to administer these measures, including not only the new government-owned corporations but also such agencies as the national industrial recovery board, the agricultural adjustment administration, the emergency relief administration, and the employment service, were specifically exempted from civil service rules, either by action of the House or in the text of bills transmitted by the administration.

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