Congress creates the House Appropriations Committee

Background. Originally, the power of appropriating was held by the Committee on Ways and Means. However, the United States Civil War placed a large burden on Congress, leading to a reorganization at the end of the conflict. The 39th Congress met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1865, to March 4, 1867, during the transition from Abraham Lincoln to Andrew Johnson.

Committee Reorganization. The creation of the House Appropriations Committee on December 11, 1865, specifically reduced the tasks of the House Ways and Means Committee. The Appropriations Committee is responsible for passing appropriation bills that regulate government expenditures, making it one of the most powerful committees in the House. A 39th Congress timeline passage records that a House Banking and Commerce Committee was created the same day, but no other supplied passage confirms that committee name, so it is treated as unverified.

Congressional Context. The event occurred within the 39th United States Congress, which consisted of the Senate and House of Representatives. The House apportionment was based on the 1860 census. The Congress met during the final month of Lincoln's presidency and the first two years of Andrew Johnson's administration, following the surrender of Confederate forces in April 1865.