Congress (United States)

Congress (United States)
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Name	United States Congress
Caption	United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
Established	1789
Chambers	Bicameral: Senate, House of Representatives
Meeting place	United States Capitol

Contents

Congress (United States)

Congress is the bicameral national legislature of the United States, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It was created by the United States Constitution and convenes at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., shaping federal law through statutes such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Affordable Care Act.

Overview

Congress exercises powers enumerated in the United States Constitution, including taxation, appropriation, and the regulation of commerce, and it operates under practices rooted in the Federalist Papers, the Articles of Confederation, and precedents set during the administrations of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Members of Congress participate in lawmaking, oversight, and advice-and-consent roles involving individuals like nominees to the United States Supreme Court and treaties such as the Treaty of Paris (1783). Legislative activity is influenced by political parties like the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, and by interest groups including the National Rifle Association and American Civil Liberties Union.

Congress emerged from compromises at the Constitutional Convention (1787) between proponents of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan, institutionalizing bicameralism influenced by James Madison and debated in the Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. Early milestones include the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1789, conflicts with the First Bank of the United States, and sectional tensions culminating in the Missouri Compromise and later the Civil War (1861–1865), after which Congress enacted amendments like the Thirteenth Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment. During the Progressive Era, reforms such as the Seventeenth Amendment altered senatorial selection, while twentieth-century events including the New Deal, World War II, and the Civil Rights Movement reshaped congressional authority and practice. Modern developments include responses to the September 11 attacks, enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and recent debates over the Budget Control Act of 2011.

Congress is bicameral, consisting of the United States Senate with two senators per state as provided by the United States Constitution, and the United States House of Representatives with membership apportioned under the Apportionment Act and the Census of the United States. The Senate includes leaders such as the Majority Leader and committees like the Senate Judiciary Committee, while the House is led by the Speaker of the House and committees such as the House Ways and Means Committee. Members owe allegiance to constituencies in states like California, Texas, New York, and Florida and often move between offices, governors’ posts like the Governor of California or cabinet positions such as the Secretary of State (United States). Terms, qualifications, and privileges reflect constitutional provisions and interpretation by the Supreme Court of the United States in cases such as United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp..

Congress holds enumerated powers including taxation under the Sixteenth Amendment, spending under appropriations acts like the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, and regulation of interstate commerce influenced by cases like Gibbons v. Ogden. It shares war powers with the President of the United States and exercises oversight through investigations exemplified by probes into events like the Watergate scandal and hearings on the Iran–Contra affair. The Senate’s advice-and-consent role affects confirmations for positions such as Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States and ambassadors under the Treaty of Versailles precedent, while the House has unique powers of impeachment used in cases involving officials like Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.

Legislation originates as bills introduced by members and follows procedures codified in rules from entities such as the House Committee on Rules and practices of the Senate Parliamentarian. Bills undergo committee consideration in bodies like the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, floor debate, reconciliation via conference committees, and presentment to the President of the United States for signature or veto; vetoes can be overridden by two-thirds majorities as in the Veto override of the Clinton veto of the Line Item Veto Act. The process has been shaped by reforms like the Reform Act of 1974 and by precedents from landmark laws including the Social Security Act and the Patriot Act.

Congressional committees such as the House Appropriations Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee, and Joint Committee on Taxation structure legislative work, with subcommittees addressing issues exemplified by hearings on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Leadership positions include the Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Leader, and party whips modeled after practices in bodies like the British House of Commons. Party caucuses such as the House Freedom Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus influence agenda-setting and coalition-building, while staff agencies like the Congressional Budget Office and the Government Accountability Office provide research and oversight support.

Congress interacts with the Executive Office of the President, negotiating budgets with administrations from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama, and litigates constitutional boundaries adjudicated by the Supreme Court of the United States in cases such as United States v. Lopez. Federalism dimensions involve coordination and conflict with state governments in Massachusetts, Texas, and California over mandates, funding, and statutes like the Voting Rights Act of 1965; Congress also asserts influence through statutes that preempt state law under the Commerce Clause and by ratifying treaties such as the North Atlantic Treaty. Oversight tools include subpoenas used in investigations into events like the Benghazi attack and confirmation processes that shape executive appointments from the Cabinet of the United States to ambassadors.

Category:Legislatures of the United States