United States Congress: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 01:23, 10 February 2025

Bicameral legislature of the United States federal government

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States and consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

History[edit]

The United States Congress was established by the U.S. Constitution in 1789, replacing the Articles of Confederation Congress. The first Congress met in New York City, which was the nation's capital at the time. The Congress has evolved over the years, adapting to the changing needs of the nation.

Structure[edit]

The Congress is divided into two chambers:

Senate[edit]

The Senate is composed of 100 members, two from each state, serving six-year terms. The Vice President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate but votes only to break ties.

House of Representatives[edit]

The House of Representatives has 435 members, with the number from each state determined by its population. Members serve two-year terms. The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer.

Powers and Functions[edit]

Congress has several key powers and functions, including:

Legislation: Congress is responsible for drafting and passing laws.
Budget: Congress controls federal spending and taxation.
Oversight: Congress monitors the executive branch and federal agencies.
Impeachment: Congress can impeach and remove federal officials, including the President.

Legislative Process[edit]

The legislative process involves several steps:

Introduction: A bill is introduced in either chamber.
Committee Review: The bill is assigned to a committee for study.
Debate and Vote: The bill is debated and voted on in the chamber.
Conference Committee: Differences between House and Senate versions are reconciled.
Presidential Action: The President can sign or veto the bill.

Related pages[edit]

References[edit]

"The United States Congress." Library of Congress. Accessed October 2023.
"The Legislative Process." Congressional Research Service. Accessed October 2023.

Gallery[edit]

The United States Legislative Process Overview
Johnson Impeachment Committee
Signing of the Constitution
United States Congress circa 1915
Control of the U.S. House and Senate
1989 Congress Bicentennial Dollar
U.S. Currency Federal Reserve
USS Bon Homme Richard
Thompson Watergate
United States Capitol
Senate in session
Congress Hall committee room
Committee Consideration
Thomas Jefferson Building
Congressional Research Service
Private Law 86-407
U.S. House Committee
Advertisement of The Federalist

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''United States Congress''' is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the [[United States]], consisting of two chambers: the [[Senate]] and the [[House of Representatives]]. The Congress meets in the [[United States Capitol]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election, though vacancies in the Senate may be filled by a governor's appointment.
+{{short description|Bicameral legislature of the United States federal government}}
+{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
-== History ==
+The '''United States Congress''' is the [[bicameral]] [[legislature]] of the [[federal government of the United States]] and consists of two chambers: the [[United States Senate|Senate]] and the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. The Congress meets in the [[United States Capitol]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]
-The Congress was created by the [[United States Constitution]] and first met in 1789, replacing the [[Congress of the Confederation]]. Its structure and responsibilities are defined in Article One of the Constitution. The Congress is divided into two chambers: the Senate, which has 100 members, and the House of Representatives, which has 435 members.
-== Senate ==
+==History==
-The [[Senate]] is the upper house of the United States Congress. Each state, regardless of its population size, is represented by two senators who serve staggered six-year terms. The Senate has several exclusive powers not granted to the House, including consenting to treaties as a precondition to their ratification and consenting to or confirming appointments of Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, other federal executive officials, military officers, regulatory officials, ambassadors, and other federal uniformed officers.
+The United States Congress was established by the [[Constitution of the United States|U.S. Constitution]] in 1789, replacing the [[Articles of Confederation]] Congress. The first Congress met in [[New York City]], which was the nation's capital at the time. The Congress has evolved over the years, adapting to the changing needs of the nation.
-== House of Representatives ==
+==Structure==
-The [[House of Representatives]] is the lower house of the United States Congress. The House is composed of representatives who sit in congressional districts allocated to each state on a basis of population as measured by the U.S. Census, with each district entitled to one representative. The House has several powers assigned exclusively to it, including the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an electoral college tie.
+The Congress is divided into two chambers:
-== Powers and duties ==
+===Senate===
-The United States Congress has the power to legislate, investigate, and has the power of the purse. It can declare war, ratify treaties, and has oversight of the Executive branch. The Congress also has the power to impeach and remove the President and other federal officers.
+The Senate is composed of 100 members, two from each state, serving six-year terms. The [[Vice President of the United States]] serves as the [[President of the Senate]] but votes only to break ties.
-== See also ==
+===House of Representatives===
-* [[List of United States Congresses]]
+The House of Representatives has 435 members, with the number from each state determined by its population. Members serve two-year terms. The [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] is the presiding officer.
-* [[Members of the United States Congress]]
-* [[Procedures of the United States Congress]]
+==Powers and Functions==
-* [[Powers of the United States Congress]]
+Congress has several key powers and functions, including:
+* '''Legislation''': Congress is responsible for drafting and passing [[federal law|laws]].
+* '''Budget''': Congress controls federal spending and taxation.
+* '''Oversight''': Congress monitors the executive branch and federal agencies.
+* '''Impeachment''': Congress can impeach and remove federal officials, including the President.
+==Legislative Process==
+The legislative process involves several steps:
+# '''Introduction''': A bill is introduced in either chamber.
+# '''Committee Review''': The bill is assigned to a committee for study.
+# '''Debate and Vote''': The bill is debated and voted on in the chamber.
+# '''Conference Committee''': Differences between House and Senate versions are reconciled.
+# '''Presidential Action''': The President can sign or veto the bill.
+==Related pages==
+* [[United States Senate]]
+* [[United States House of Representatives]]
+* [[United States Capitol]]
+* [[Federal government of the United States]]
+==References==
+* "The United States Congress." [[Library of Congress]]. Accessed October 2023.
+* "The Legislative Process." [[Congressional Research Service]]. Accessed October 2023.
+==Gallery==
+<gallery>
+File:The_United_States_Legislative_Process_Overview_(1)_-_Library_of_Congress.webm|The United States Legislative Process Overview
+File:Johnson_Impeachment_Committee.jpg|Johnson Impeachment Committee
+File:Scene_at_the_Signing_of_the_Constitution_of_the_United_States.jpg|Signing of the Constitution
+File:United_States_Congress_circa_1915.jpeg|United States Congress circa 1915
+File:Combined--Control_of_the_U.S._House_of_Representatives_-_Control_of_the_U.S._Senate.png|Control of the U.S. House and Senate
+File:1989_Congress_Bicentennial-Dollar.jpg|1989 Congress Bicentennial Dollar
+File:USCurrency_Federal_Reserve.jpg|U.S. Currency Federal Reserve
+File:USS_Bon_Homme_Richard_(CVA-31)_underway_in_the_Gulf_of_Tonkin_on_2_November_1964.jpg|USS Bon Homme Richard
+File:ThompsonWatergate.jpg|Thompson Watergate
+File:United_States_Capitol_seen_from_the_United_States_Supreme_Court,_Washington,_DC_-_20080326.jpg|United States Capitol
+File:Senate_in_session.jpg|Senate in session
+File:Congress_Hall_committee_room_2.jpg|Congress Hall committee room
+File:The_United_States_Legislative_Process_-_Committee_Consideration_(3)_-_Library_of_Congress.webm|Committee Consideration
+File:Thomas_Jefferson_Building_Aerial_by_Carol_M._Highsmith.jpg|Thomas Jefferson Building
+File:Congressional_Research_Service.svg|Congressional Research Service
+File:Private_Law_86-407.jpg|Private Law 86-407
+File:US_House_Committee.jpg|U.S. House Committee
+File:An_Advertisement_of_The_Federalist_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_16960.jpg|Advertisement of The Federalist
+</gallery>
 [[Category:United States Congress]]
-[[Category:Bicameral legislatures]]
-[[Category:1789 establishments in the United States]]
-{{US-gov-stub}}