Congress

Congress
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Name	Congress
Background color	#8B0000
Text color	#FFFFFF
Legislature	United States
House type	Bicameral
Houses	Senate, House of Representatives
Foundation	March 4, 1789
Leader1 type	President of the Senate
Leader1	Kamala Harris
Leader2 type	President pro tempore of the Senate
Leader2	Patty Murray
Leader3 type	Speaker of the House
Leader3	Mike Johnson
Members	535 voting members, 100 Senators, 435 Representatives
Meeting place	United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.

Congress. The national legislature of the United States, established by Article I of the Constitution of the United States. It is a bicameral body, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives, which convenes at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.. Its primary constitutional role is to make federal law, levy taxes, declare war, and provide oversight of the executive branch.

History and origins

The institution was conceived during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 as a compromise between the Virginia Plan, which favored representation based on population, and the New Jersey Plan, which advocated for equal state representation. This led to the creation of the bicameral structure outlined in the Connecticut Compromise. It succeeded the earlier, weaker Congress of the Confederation which governed under the Articles of Confederation. The First Congress convened in Federal Hall in New York City in 1789, with key early figures including James Madison, often called the "Father of the Constitution," and Fisher Ames. Its early sessions were pivotal in establishing the federal government, passing the Judiciary Act of 1789 and drafting the Bill of Rights.

Structure and composition

The upper chamber, the Senate, is composed of 100 members, with two Senators from each state serving staggered six-year terms, as established by the Seventeenth Amendment. The Vice President of the United States serves as its presiding officer. The lower chamber, the House of Representatives, has 435 voting members apportioned by state population based on the decennial United States Census, with each member representing a Congressional district. The leader of the House is the Speaker, elected by the majority party. Both chambers are organized by political parties, with power vested in majority and minority leaders and their respective whips.

Powers and functions

Its enumerated powers are detailed in Article I, Section 8, and include the authority to levy and collect taxes, borrow money on the credit of the United States, regulate interstate commerce, coin money, establish post offices and courts, declare war, raise and support armies and navies, and make all laws "necessary and proper" for executing its powers through the Necessary and Proper Clause. It also holds significant non-legislative powers, such as the power of the purse, the ability to propose constitutional amendments, and to conduct investigations and oversight through committees like the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

Legislative process

For a bill to become law, it must pass both chambers in identical form and be presented to the President of the United States. Legislation can originate in either chamber, except for revenue bills which must start in the House. Bills are typically referred to specialized committees like the Senate Finance Committee or the House Ways and Means Committee for review, amendment, and markup. If approved, a bill goes to the floor for debate and a vote, governed by rules like the filibuster in the Senate and the House Rules Committee in the House. A conference committee may reconcile differences between House and Senate versions before a final vote.

Relationship with other branches

It shares power with the executive and judicial branches under the system of separation of powers and checks and balances. It checks the President through powers like senatorial confirmation of judges and Cabinet members, ratification of treaties, and the power to override a veto. It can also remove federal officials through impeachment, as seen in the trials of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. The Supreme Court can review and invalidate its acts, as established in Marbury v. Madison.

Notable sessions and legislation

Historically significant sessions include the First Congress, the Civil War-era 37th United States Congress, and the New Deal-era 73rd United States Congress under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Landmark legislation passed includes the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Social Security Act, the National Labor Relations Act, the Clean Air Act, the Affordable Care Act, and the USA PATRIOT Act. It has also issued pivotal declarations, such as the declaration of war following the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Category:National legislatures Category:United States Congress