United States Congress

The United States Congress is the <a href="/facts/Legislature/ycUCe91S">legislative branch</a> of the <a href="/facts/Federal_government_of_the_United_States/VJCxUaf7">federal government of the United States</a>. It is a <a href="/facts/Bicameralism/qdbjFfpm">bicameral</a> legislature, including a <a href="/facts/Lower_house/kxk4o5B7">lower body</a>, the <a href="/facts/United_States_House_of_Representatives/cdBPb9pY">U.S. House of Representatives</a>, and an <a href="/facts/Upper_house/c1en2HMa">upper body</a>, the <a href="/facts/United_States_Senate/VyzXHE01">U.S. Senate</a>. They both meet in the <a href="/facts/United_States_Capitol/UFAR0zx8">United States Capitol</a> in <a href="/facts/Washington%2c_D.C./enXPK156">Washington, D.C.</a> 
Members of Congress are chosen through <a href="/facts/Direct_election/mEu2tH8w">direct election</a>, though vacancies in the Senate may be filled by a <a href="/facts/Governor_(United_States)/Mb01HzEt">governor</a>'s appointment. Congress has a total of 535 voting members, a figure which includes 100 <a href="/facts/United_States_senators/EJubX7jI">senators</a> and 435 <a href="/facts/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives/3Uldp1zG">representatives</a>; the House of Representatives has 6 additional <a href="/facts/Non-voting_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives/DzjVjFJ8">non-voting members</a>. The <a href="/facts/Vice_president_of_the_United_States/tYWUGv0A">vice president of the United States</a>, as President of the Senate, has a vote in the Senate only when there is a tie.
Congress convenes for a two-year <a href="/facts/Term_of_office/njYIhtkn">term</a>, commencing every other January. <a href="/facts/Elections_in_the_United_States/ktfod7hT">Elections</a> are held every even-numbered year on <a href="/facts/Election_Day_(United_States)/hIw2FuPs">Election Day</a>. The members of the House of Representatives are elected for the two-year term of a Congress. The <a href="/facts/Reapportionment_Act_of_1929/Tu9P0nmq">Reapportionment Act of 1929</a> established that there be 435 representatives, and the Uniform Congressional Redistricting Act requires that they be elected from <a href="/facts/Single-member_district/CBIvRokq">single-member constituencies</a> or districts. It is also required that the <a href="/facts/Congressional_districts_of_the_United_States/6X6wdm0r">congressional districts</a> be <a href="/facts/United_States_congressional_apportionment/gRS9L1m7">apportioned</a> among <a href="/facts/U.S._state/PFwcRIYQ">states</a> by <a href="/facts/Representation_by_population/EfU0v8bj">population</a> every ten years using the <a href="/facts/United_States_census/UGexlXP8">U.S. census</a> results, provided that each state has at least one congressional representative. Each senator is elected <a href="/facts/At-large/lyLGTETl">at-large</a> in their state for a six-year term, with <a href="/facts/Staggered_elections/0xqQkS85">terms staggered</a>, so every two years approximately one-third of the Senate is up for election. Each state, regardless of population or size, has two senators, so currently, there are 100 senators for the 50 states.
<a href="/facts/Article_One_of_the_U.S._Constitution/pczJMbqw">Article One of the U.S. Constitution</a> requires that members of Congress be at least 25 years old for the House and at least 30 years old for the U.S. Senate, be a <a href="/facts/Citizenship_of_the_United_States/w7SyTv8P">U.S. citizen</a> for seven years for the House and nine years for the Senate, and be an inhabitant of the state which they represent. Members in both chambers may stand for re-election an unlimited number of times.
Congress was created by the <a href="/facts/Constitution_of_the_United_States/AJlEWNR3">U.S. Constitution</a> and first met in 1789, replacing the <a href="/facts/Congress_of_the_Confederation/5KqK6FAR">Congress of the Confederation</a> in its legislative function. Although not legally mandated, in practice members of Congress since the late 18th century are typically affiliated with one of the <a href="/facts/Two-party_system/qL4usvQF">two major parties</a>, the <a href="/facts/Democratic_Party_(United_States)/MNe3nDrL">Democratic Party</a> or the <a href="/facts/Republican_Party_(United_States)/XXM1EVPr">Republican Party</a>, and only rarely with a <a href="/facts/Third-party_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives/zozgC4Rg">third party</a> or <a href="/facts/Independent_(politician)/Pzzvg0CC">independents</a> affiliated with no party. Members can also <a href="/facts/Party_switching/0R2z65yd">switch parties</a> at any time, though this is uncommon.

United States Congress open-in-new

United States Congress