United States Congress

Article I of the Constitution of 1787 vested the legislative powers it granted in a Congress consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives. The Congress under the new constitutional system began operating in 1789. Each chamber developed its own officers, committees and procedures, while ordinary legislation required agreement on the same text by both.

The House distributes representation among states according to population and elects members for two-year terms. Each state has two senators serving six-year terms, with seats divided into classes for staggered elections. The organization therefore brings population-based representation and equal representation of states into the same federal legislature.

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The original Constitution assigned the selection of senators to state legislatures. The Seventeenth Amendment, ratified in 1913, introduced election by the people of each state. House representation is implemented through census-based apportionment and laws and procedures concerning seats and districts. Terms and territorial constituencies provide continuing links between elections and congressional work.

Within the House, the Speaker, party leaders and whips help organize business. Committees divide work by subject and study proposals before they reach later stages. Members consequently act within overlapping settings: committees, party organizations and the chamber as a whole, while also serving constituencies with particular concerns.

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A bill introduced by a member is normally referred to a committee. Study, hearings, amendments and a report may precede debate in the chamber. The Senate and House must resolve differences between their versions before an agreed text is presented to the President. The President may sign or veto it, and Congress may override a veto with the constitutionally required vote.

These stages provide opportunities for different participants to change the proposal. Committee approval, passage in one chamber, bicameral agreement and enactment are successive steps. Bills, proposed amendments and recorded votes preserve evidence of how a policy’s wording and support changed as it moved through the institution.

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Congress received powers concerning taxation, borrowing, interstate and foreign commerce, declarations of war and support for armed forces. Federal expenditure is governed by appropriations requirements. Revenue bills originate in the House, with the Senate able to propose amendments. Decisions about public finance thus connect the legislature to military operations, public works and social policy.

The chambers also have distinct responsibilities. The House brings impeachments and the Senate tries them. The Senate participates in consideration of treaties and important presidential appointments. Alongside legislation, these financial and institutional responsibilities give Congress continuing roles in the operation of the federal government.

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