What is Congress?

Congress is the lawmaking body of the United States federal government, made up of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has 100 members, with each of the 50 states sending two senators regardless of population. The House of Representatives has 435 members, with each state's number determined by its population as counted by the census every ten years.

Together, the two chambers form a bicameral legislature, a system the framers borrowed from the British Parliament but adapted for American federalism. The word Congress comes from the Latin congredi, meaning to come together, and it was deliberately chosen to suggest deliberation among representatives of separate states rather than a single national assembly.

Article I of the Constitution gives Congress its powers, which include making federal laws, levying taxes, regulating commerce, coining money, declaring war, raising and supporting armed forces, establishing post offices, and creating federal courts below the Supreme Court. Each chamber has unique powers as well. The House initiates all bills that raise revenue and brings impeachment charges against federal officials. The Senate confirms presidential appointments, ratifies treaties by a two-thirds vote, and conducts impeachment trials.

Members of the House are elected to two-year terms from congressional districts within each state. Senators are elected to six-year terms from the state as a whole, with one-third of Senate seats up for election every two years. This staggered election cycle means the Senate is never entirely replaced at once, providing continuity.

The bicameral structure was a compromise at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Small states feared being dominated in a population-based legislature; large states refused to accept a chamber where Rhode Island would equal Virginia. The Connecticut Compromise produced the current arrangement: equal representation in the Senate, proportional representation in the House.

Both chambers must pass a bill in identical form before it can be sent to the President for signature. This requirement forces negotiation between the two chambers and between regional and population-based interests, slowing down the legislative process by design.