The Legislation

When the members of Congress arrived for work in January 1965, they did so with a mandate from the American people: enact the legislation required to make President Lyndon Johnson’s sweeping vision for a Great Society a reality.  In the ensuing two years, the 89th Congress did just that, passing sixty pieces of landmark legislation and one hundred eighty-one measures in all.  Including federal support for voting rights, education, infrastructure improvement, aid for economically depressed areas, health care for the elderly and needy, immigration reform, and new environmental and consumer protections, the legislation passed during the 89th Congress impacted virtually every American and initiated durable changes to the nation that are still felt and debated today.