Legislation

In the United States federal system, legislation or laws, are passed by the Congress, and signed into law by the President.

Some famous legislative acts since Congress was established:

Judiciary Act - 1789 - Established Supreme Court of six judges, provided 13 district courts and 3 circuit courts. A clause granting USSC right to issue writs of mandamus was declared unconstitutional by Marbury v. Madison
Hamilton Tariff - 1789 - Revenue tariff of 5 to 15 to establish protectionism even though as yet there was nothing to protect. See Hamiltons Report on Manufactures
First Bank of the United States - Was bank necessary under implied powers clause of Constitution? Passed anyway, 80% private, received favors from Govt.
Alien and Sedition Acts - 1798 - Passed by Federalist Congress. Alien Act authorized Pres. to expel any alien considered dangerous. Sedition Act made it a crime to publish false, scandalous, or malicious writing against government. Naturalization Act required 14 years of residence to become citized. Jefferson and Madison drafted Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions against them. Expired in 1801.
Cumberland Road - 1806 - Begun in 1811 linked [[Cumberland, Maryland with Wheeling, West Virginia, ultimately Baltimore to St. Louis, now US 40 and I 70.
Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves - 1807 - In accordance with Constitution, no new slaves were permitted to be imported into US.
Embargo Act - 1807 - Jefferson responds to England's seizure of American shipping by prohibiting all American shipping bound for foreign ports and all foreign vessels from taking cargo at American ports. Failed.
Non Intercourse Act - 1809 - Lifted all embargoes on American shipping except for those bound for British or French ports. Had little effect.
Macon's Bill No. 2 - 1810 - All embargoes were lifted, with the nation England or France that stopped molesting American shipping, U.S. would continue trading, but after 90 days U.S. would impose embargo on other nation. France repealed restrictions, War of 1812 ensued.
Second Bank of the United States (BUS) - 1816 - Passed 5 years after expiration of 1st Bank and chaos that ensued. Bank patterned after 1st. Renewal of Bank vetoed in 1832 by Jackson, so it declined until 1836. Clay and Biddle had made Bank a campaign issue. Bank upheld in 1819 USSC case McCullogh v. Maryland which also declared null and void any state law contrary to a federal law made in pursuance of the Constitution.
Bonus Bill - 1817 - Introduced by Calhoun to provide highways linking The East and South to The West using earnings Bonus from 2nd BUS. Calhoun argued for it using general welfare and post roads clauses, but though he approved, Madison vetoed as unconstitutional.
Missouri Compromise - 1820 - Maine and Missouri enter union as free and slave states, Louisiana territory south of 36 30 made slave, north made free except Missouri.
Tariff of Abominations - 1828 - Calhoun passed tariff for high rates on raw materials as well as finished goods.
Force Bill - 1833 - Bill approved of Jackson's use of whatever force necessary to execute laws, thereby nullifying South Carolina's Nullification of tarriffs. South Carolina Nullified this Bill. Clays Compromise Tariffs passed the same day, satisfying Calhoun and South Carolina, making nullification unnecessary in any event.
Gag Rule- 1836 - House and Senate annually ruled that all petitions to Congress about slavery would be tabled without consideration. JQA annually opposed resolution.
Specie Circular - 1836 - Issued by Jackson, it limited payment to U.S. for public lands to gold and silver specie or certain sound money. Contributed to panic of 1837.
Wilmot Proviso - 1846 - Attached to many bills but never passed, it would have outlawed slavery in any territory gained by Mexican War.
Walker Tariff - 1846 - Democrat passed bill reversing high rates of Whig's and Clay's Compromise Tariff.
Great Compromise - 1850 - Passed by Webster and Clay. (1) California became a free state (2) Texas paid 10 million for being reduced in size, (3) New Mexico and Utah would have popular sovereignty, but while territories no restriction on slavery, (4) No slave trade in D.C., (5) Fugitive Slave Law passed, Federal Govt. responsible for return of fugitive slaves to owner.
Kansas Nebraska Act - 1854 - Popular sovereignty was to decide slave issue in these two territories, resulted in Bleeding Kansas
Morrill Tariff - 1861 - Reintroduced protectionist rates, which continued upward to 1913
Homestead Act - 1862 - Gave 160 acres to any head of family provided he lived on it for 5 years or could buy it for 1.25 per acre after six months.
Pacific Railway Act - 1862 - Gave land grants to Union Pacific and Central Pacific to construct transcontinental RR.
Morrill Land Grant Colleges Act - 1862 - Gave each state proceeds from sale of 30,000 acres of public land for each member it had in Congress. The money went to support vocational college courses in ag. and mech. arts.
National Banking Act - 1863 - Raised money for civil war by enticing banks to buy federal bonds, and taxed state bonds out of existance.
Wade Davis Bill - 1864 - Provided seceded states could reenter union if a majority of white citizens took oath of office of allegiance to US and state submitted acceptable constitution. Lincoln killed by Pocket Veto
Freedman's Bureau - 1865 - To aid distressed refugees including former slaves and poor white trash, disbanded in 1872.
Civil Rights Act - 1866 - Buttressed Civil Rights Laws to protect freedmen, grants full citizenship to those born on US soil except Indians, Johnson vetoed Congress override.
Congressional Reconstruction Act - 1867 - Divided 10 ex-Confederate states except Tennessee into 5 military districts. Governments established under Lincoln's plan were abolished. Punitive in Nature.
Tenure of Office Act - 1867 - President denied power to remove from office anyone who has been appointed or approved by Congress.
Amnesty Act - 1872 - Removed suffrage restriction against most whites who participated in rebellion.
Yellowstone National Park opens - 1872 - 1st national park, followed by Yosemete. Yellowstone burned down in 1988.
Resumption Act - 1875 - Provided for redemption of greenbacks in gold beginning in 1879, the sound money program reduced amount of paper money and restored confidence in it. It was opposed by silverites.
Bland Allison Act - 1878 - In response to Crime of '73 demonetizing silver, Silver Dick Bland (MO) introduced bill for free coinage of silver at ratio of 16:1 to gold. Senator Allison (IA) limited amount purchased to 4 million per month at market price.
Chinese Exclusion Act - 1882 - Reversed Burlingame Treaty of 1868 and excluded all but 105 Chinese immigrants per year for 10 years, act renewed 1892 for 10 years, 1902 with no terminal date. Repealed 1943.
Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act - 1883 - Established Civil Service Commission and placed 10 of federal employees on merit system. Caused by assassination of Garfield by a disappointed office seeker.
Dawes Act - 1887 - Plan to break up tribes by granting land ownership to individual natives, Head of Family got 160 acres plus 40 for each minor child Each Single Adult and Orphan got 80 acres. Indians required to live on land 25 years. Natives under plan had full rights of citizenship.
Interstate Commerce Act - 1887 - ICC created. Members appointed by Pres. with consent of Senate. First of Fourth Branch agencies. Ineffective at first, amendments made it effective.
Hatch Act - 1887 - Created Agricultural Experiment Stations see 1939 another Hatch Act
Sherman Antitrust Act - 1890 - Made illegal Every contract, combination, in the form of trust, or otherwise, or conspirac, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several states.
Sherman Silver Purchase Act - 1890 - Law required Treasury to purchase and coin 4.5 million ounces of silver per month and pay for it with legal tender treasury notes redeemable in gold. Victory for silver forces and inflationists.
McKinley Tariff - 1890 - Average ad valorem rate set at 50%, agriculture also protected, in return Sherman Silver Purchase Act passed by Republicans.
Wilson Gorman Tariff - 1894 - Reduced slightly rates of McKinley Tariff, passed by Democrats, contained Income Tax
Income Tax - 1894 - Included in Wilson Gorman Tariff, struck down in USSC case Pollack v. Farmers Loan Trust Company in 1913 16th Amendment made tax constitutional.
Dingley Tariff - 1897 - Tariffs reached new high of avg. 50%, up to 57%. Republican McKinley Administration fully supported protectionism.
Foraker Act - 1900 - Established govt. for Puerto Rico, Gov. Gen. with a veto and a council of eleven appointed by Pres. Popularly elected assembly.
Gold Standard Act - 1900 - Gold became standard for redeeming money, stopping bimetallism.
Newlands Reclamation Act - 1902 - Money from sales of semiarid public lands in 16 western states was to be used for consructing and maintaining irrigation projects. Newly irrigated land would be sold and money would expand project.
Elkins Act - 1903 - Strengthened Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 by forbidding rebates to shippers. RRs not permitted to deviate from published rates, sponsered by Pres. Roosevelt.
Hepburn Act - 1906- Gave ICC power to force RRs to obey orders. If RRs protested, ICC conditions in effect until litigation said otherwise. By act ICC also covered bridges, terminals, ferries, sleeping cars, and express companies.
Pure Food and Drug Act - 1906 - Provided for federal inspection of meat products, forbade manufacture sale or transport of adulterated food products or poisonous patent medicines.
Meat Inspection Act - 1906 - Secretary of Agriculture authorized to order meat inspections Wand condemn any found unfit for human consumption. Resulted from Upton Sinclair's The Jungle
Gentlemens Agreement - 1907 - Not a law, Japan agreed not to issue passports, thus eliminating immigration to US. San Francisco schools agreed not to discriminate.
Aldrich Vreeland Act- 1908 - Established National Monetary Commission whose recommendations become Federal Reserve Act of 1913. Also provided for issuance of emergency currency.
Payne Aldrich Tariff - 1909 - Reduced high rates to 37, Taft requested more reduction. Split Republican party into Progressives and Old Guard.
Mann Elkins Act - 1910 - Extended authority of ICC to include communications. It also made more effective long-short haul clause of original act.
Mann Act - 1910 - Prohibited White Slavery, European girls working in American bordellos and interstate transport of females for immoral purposes.
Federal Reserve Act - 1913 - Glass Owen Bill, established 12 Federal Reserve Banks: Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, KC, Dallas, SF. All banks under National Banking Act of 1863 were made members of Federal Reserve System, others could join. Board of Governors appointed by Pres. supervised system.
Underwood Tariff - 1913 - Democrats cut Rates 28% below Payne Aldrich Tariff, included Income Tax law under 16th Amendment.
Federal Trade Commission Act - 1914 - Bipartisan body of 5 members appointed by Pres. for seven year terms. It can issue Cease and Desist orders to large corps. to curb unfair trade practices.
Clayton Antitrust Act - 1914 - Forbade (1) Interlocking Directorates, (2) Ownership of stock in competing corporation, (3) Price Cutting below cost to eliminate competitor, (4) Labor Unions exempt from law, (5) Only when property damage threatened may injunctions be used to settle labor disputes, (6) Boycotts, Peaceful Strikes, and Peaceful Picketting are legal.
Adamson Railway Labor Act - 1916 - Passed to avert strike, provided same pay for 8 hour day as previously for 10 hour day, provided time and a half for overtime. President permitted to nationalize RRs.
Federal Farm Loan Act - 1916 - Established 12 Farm Loan Banks to serve members of Farm Loan Associations. Farmers could borrow up to 50 of value of land and 20 of value of improvements.
Espionage and Sedition Acts - 1917 - resulted in USSC case Abrams v. U.S. where Holmes describes Clear and Present Danger Theory. Laws outlawed utterences detrimental to war effort, postmaster permited to exclude seditious material from mails. Upheld by Schenck v. U.S. in 1919.
Volstead Act - 1920 - Passed over Wilson's veto defined intoxication to mean any beverage 0.005% alcohol. Enacted 18th amendment of Prohibition.
Esch Cummins Act - 1920 - Railroad Transportation Act, returned RRs to private operation with much regulation.
Emergency Quota Act - 1921 - Congress limited the number of immigrants who could be admitted from any country to 3 of the number of person from that country who were living in the U.S. in 1910, according to Census figures.
Fordney McCumber Tariff - 1922 - Republican defense against expected Europeans exports, created Tariff Commission to raise or lower rates by 50. Retaliatory tariffs sprang up.
Immigration Act Basic Law - 1924 - Congress limited the number of immigrants who could be admitted from any country to 2% of the number of person from that country who were Living in the U.S. in 1890 thus restricting Southern and Eastern Europeans.
Indian Reorganization Act - 1924 - Policy of Dawes Act reversed, tribal life recognized as a normal and viable mode. Indians given citizenship.
Immigration Act National Origins Formula - 1929 - Total immigration capped at 150,000, Asians excluded, Western Hemispherians not restricted.
Agriculture Marketing Act - 1929 - Established Federal Farm Board, promoted organization of and lent money for agricultural marketing cooperatives. Abolished in 1933.
Smoot Hawley Tariff - 1930 - Hoover asked for downward revision, Congress raised rates, Economists urged veto, Hoover thought Tariff Commission would do trick. Depression ensued.
Norris LaGuardia Anti Injunction Bill - 1932 - Outlawed yellow dog contract in which worker agreed as a condition of employment not to join union. Declared as public policy labor's right to organize. Restricted court injunctions in labor disputes.
Reconstruction Finance Corporation - 1932 - Republican solution to mass unemployment, advanced $2 billion in loans to state and local govts and to banks, RRs, farm mortgage associations, and other corps.
Agricultural Adjustment Act - 1933 - Restricted production by paying farmers to reduce crop acreage. Declared unconstitutional in 1936 USSC case U.S. v. Butler. Congress then acheived same goals with 1936 Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act and 1938 Agricultural Act.
Civil Works Administration - 1933 - Established Make Work jobs, merged with Federal Emergency Relief Act in 1934.
Civilian Conservation Corps - 1933 - Organized by New Deal, adminstered by War Department, provided jobs to young men in conservation projects and paid their parents.
Farm Credit Administration - 1933 - Helped farmers refinance mortgages over longer time at lower interest.
Home Owners Loan Corporation - 1933 - Established to refinance homes to prevent foreclosure.
Tennessee Valley Authority - 1933 - Created to generate electric power and control floods in seven state region.
Public Works Administration - 1933 - Made contracts with private firms for construction of public works. Headed by Sec. Interior Ickes.
National (Industrial) Recovery Act - 1933 - Established codes of fair competition, those who agreed could display Blue Eagle, created National Recovery Administration to promote anticapitalism. Bogged down in red tape and disorder, demonstrating that planned economy doesn't work. Overturned in 1935 USSC case Schecter v. U.S. or sick chicken case because it invaded states authority, unreasonably stretched commerce clause, and gave legislative powers to code makers.
Glass Steagal Act - 1934 - Seperates commercial and merchant investment banking.
Securities and Exchange Commission - 1934 - Wall Street supervision taken from FTC Land put in hands of SEC. Strict control over Financial industry established.
Federal Housing Administration - 1934 - Guaranteed private home mortagages, provided funds to promote housing construction.
Johnson Act - 1934 - Foreign Securities Act prohibited European nations in default from marketing bond issues in U.S.
Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act - 1934 - Provided for the negotiation of tariff agreements with separate nations, particularly Latin American countries. Resulted in a reduction of duties.
Tydings McDuffie Act - 1934 - Provided for granting independence ot Philippines by 1945, ultimately independence on July 4, 1946 after World War II delays.
Works Progress Administration - 1935 - Largest and most comprehensive New Deal agency, promoted may ways for jobs and income to unemployed.
Neutrality Act - 1935 - American citizens could not sell arms to belligerants in international war. Resulted from Italy's invasion of Ethiopia.
Motor Carrier Act - 1935 - Further amendments to Interstates Commerce Act, regulating the utilities of bus lines and airlines.
Social Security Act - 1935 - Payroll tax FICA half paid by worker, half by employer finances retirement payments under Old Age and Survivors Insurance Program.
National Labor Relations Act -1935 - Wagner Act administered laws affecting labor management relations by NLRB.
Robinson Patman Act - 1936 - Anti Price Discrimination Act outlawed practice of chain stores purchasing goods at lower prices than other retailers.
Neutrality Acts - 1937 - American citizens could not sell arms to belligerants in Civil War, including govt. side. Resulted from Spanish Civil War. Later in year second act forbade travel by U.S. citizens on ship of belligerentss. Aimed at Sino Japanese war.
Wheeler Lea Act - 1938 - Enlarged scope of federal supervision of foods and drugs by adding cosmetics and providing stiffer penalties.
Fair Labor Standards Act - 1938 - Wages and Hours Law National minimum wage and maximum hours restrictions enacted, time and half for overtime paid. Farm laborers, domestic servants and professionals exempted.
Hatch Act - 1939 - Prevent corrupt political practices, prevented federal civil servants from campaigning. see 1887 for another Hatch Act
Cash and Carry - 1939 - Revision to Neutrality Acts so any ship could come to U.S. ports and carry away anything they could buy. Aided British and French.
Selective Service Act - 1940 - First peacetime draft in history, draft began in Nov. Law not considered involuntary servitude under 13th Amendment, but rather part of Congress's right to raise and support armies
Alien Registration (Smith) Act - 1940
Lend Lease Act - 1941 - Permitted Pres. to sell, transfer, exchange, lease, or otherwise dispose of war equipment to any nation for use in the interests of the U.S.
Office of Price Administration - 1942 - Administered Price Controls after outbreak of WWII, had power to place ceilings on all prices except commodities and to ration scarce supplies of other items.
GI Bill of Rights - 1944 - Servicemans Readjustment Act, provided for college or vocational education for returning veterans as well as one year unemployment compensation and loans for homes and businesses.
Presidential Succession Act - 1947 - Fixed succession of Presidency through VP, Speaker, President pro tem, cabinet heads in order of seniority of departments.
Taft Hartley Act - 1947 - Outlawed closed shop - only union members hired but permitted union shop where nonunion workers hired must join union. Provided 60 day cooling off period after contract expires before strike may be called, Pres may extend by 80 days.
National Security Act - 1947 - Reorganized Depts of War and Navy into DOD, created National Security Agency and NSC to advise Pres.
McCarron Internal Security Act - 1950 - Required communist and communist front organizations to register with the Attorney General. Members could not become citizens, or if citizens could be denaturalized in five years. Congress overrode Truman's veto.
Mutual Security Act - 1951 - 7 billion in foreign aid distributed
Immigration and Naturalization Act - 1952 - McCarron Walters Act modified 1929 act by including Asians but kept out subversives and expelled communists
Saint Lawrence Seaway Act - 1954 - Established St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp to construct channel permitting navigable transport inland to Duluth (Zenith in Sinclair Lewis)
Interstate Highway Act - 1956
Civil Rights Act - 1957 - Established Civil Rights Commission to protect individuals rights to Equal Protection Under the Law and permitted courts to grant injunctions in support of CRC
National Defense Education Act - 1958 - Passed in response to Sputnik, provided $575 million for education and low interest loans for college students.
Landrum Griffin Act - 1959 - Restricted secondary boycotts, particularly union refusal to handle hot cargo unfair union election practices picketting when union was organizing.
Peace Corps - 1961 - Volunteers work in third world countries, sharing standard of living.
Trade Expansion Act - 1962 - Authorized tariff cuts of 50 with Common Market. Led to 1967 Kennedy Round of tariff negotiations reducing tariffs.
Full Employment Act - 1964 - Established committees to inform Pres. on Economics including Council of Economic Advisors
Civil Rights Act - 1964 - Prohibited discrimination in public and governmental facilities.
Great Society Programs - 1964 - LBJ at Ann Arbor MI proposed VISTA, Job Corps, Upward Bound, Neighborhood Youth Corps, Head Start and unconditional war on poverty
Medicare Amendments to Social Security - 1965 - Old age health insurance
Medicaid - 1965 - Poor peoples health insurance
Voting Rights Act - 1965 - Outlawed literacy tests and provided for federal registration of black voters in areas that had less than 50 of eligible voters registered.
Immigration Act - 1965 - Discontinued quotas based on national origin, preference given to those who have U.S. relatives.
National Enviornmental Protection Act - 1970 - EPA established, governing laws include (1) Clean Water Act, (2) Clean Air Act, (3) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act - Superfund, (4) Safe Drinking Water Act, (5) Toxic Substances Control Act, (6) Fungicide, -Insectiside, Rodenticide Restrictions Act ...
Humphrey Hawkins Full Employment Act - 1978 - Government has goal to provide what economists call full employment about 5%
Refugee Act - 1980 - Admitted refugees on systematic basis for humanitarian reasons. 1985 ceiling of 70,000 refugees, 270,000 immigrants total 20,000 from any one country.
Kemp Roth Tax Cuts - 1981 - Slashed tax rates 25%
Tax Reform Bill - 1986 - Reduced number of tax brackets
Gramm Rudman Hollings Balanced Budget Act - 1986 - promised budget balanced in year x, with year x constantly getting pushed back.