During the middle of Harry Truman's first term, the 1946 elections saw a major turnover of the Senate from Democrat control to Republican control. In the Senate, the Democrats lost eleven seats to the Republicans, and on the house side, the 54 seats were lost to the Republicans. The vote was largely seen as a referendum on Truman whose approval rating had sunk to new lows. In 1945, the war had just ended and for the first time in almost 20 years, the county was not faced with war or economic depression. Truman had to layout his plan for the future of the American economy and the future of New Deal liberalism. In his first annual address, Truman called for new public works programs, "full-employment", higher minimum wage, Fair Employment Practices, enhanced Social Security, and a national health system. His New Deal vision and it's social welfare state had the support of the liberal Democrats and the Democratic party, but not heart of the American people. Truman's plans faltered. Beginning in late 1945, a wave of strikes hit the steel, coal and railroad industries. Railroad strikes were especially hard on the American people who had come to depend on the railroad for transportation. There were also struggles with the removal of war-time price controls.
Now facing Republicans in both chambers of Congress, President Truman knew that he had a fight on his hands. His New Deal liberalism would be a hard sell to the Republicans. In his 1947 address to congress he pleaded for Bipartisan support for his plans.
"I realize that on some matters the Congress and the President may have honest differences of opinion. Partisan differences, however, did not cause material disagreements as to the conduct of the war. Nor, in the conduct of our international relations, during and since the war, have such partisan differences been material.As one would expect, this Republican congress opposed most of Truman's Fair Deal bills, but Truman turned this into an advantage during his 1948 campaign. He appealed directly to the people and accused the 80th congress of being a "Do Nothing Congress". Despite the fact that they had passed a total of 906 bills, the nickname stuck. And, despite conventional wisdom at the time, Truman won his 1948 reelection win over his Republican rival Dewey, and the Democrats gained back 9 Senate seats and 73 seats in the house. So today, when you hear the nickname "Do Nothing Congress", remember Truman and the 1946 election. For, it was in January of 1947, that Harry S. Truman began his re-election campaign.
On some domestic issues we may, and probably shall, disagree. That in itself is not to be feared. It is inherent in our form of Government. But there are ways of disagreeing; men who differ can still work together sincerely for the common good. We shall be risking the Nation's safety and destroying our opportunities for progress if we do not settle any disagreements in this spirit, without thought of partisan advantage."
In 1948, Truman made similar remarks while on the campaign trail in San Diego, California when he described what actions the 80th Congress took - Nothing. And who was to blame? The people of California who stayed home in 1946.
"Then I called another special session of the 80th Congress, after they had given us a platform in Philadelphia. In that platform, they stated that they were for certain things. When I called them back into session in July, what did they do? Nothing. Nothing. That Congress never did anything the whole time it was in session, but they tried to sabotage the West. And if you people stay at home this time like you did in 1946, you'll get just what you deserve."
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=12762
http://millercenter.org/president/biography/truman-domestic-affairs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_elections,_1946
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80th_United_States_Congress
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Dewey_Defeats_Truman.jpg
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