United States Congress

The US Congress is the legislative branch of the national government. According to the US Constitution, it is composed of 2 houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Seal of the US Congress 

In order to become a Representative/Congressman in the House, the candidate must be at least 25 years old, has 7 years of citizenship, and be a legal resident of the state he/she represents. Representation is determined by population. As a result, no state can have less than one representative. For instance, Vermont, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, and Alaska each have one, while the state of California has 52. Currently, there are 435 Congressmen in total.

Seal of the House of Representatives

The Senate has 2 Senators from each state for a total of 100. To be a Senator, the requirements are slightly higher: minimum age is 30 years, must have 9 years of citizenship, and be a legal resident of the state you want to represent. Until the early 20th century, the Senators were elected by the state legislatures, which is why they tended to be politically members of the elite class. However, the 17th Constitutional amendment changed that, and today, they are elected by the people through direct vote.

 

Seal of the US Senate

Each house are granted specific powers by the US Constitution. The House, for instance, can impeach the President of the United States. If the impeachment passes the House, the President is trialed in the Senate, where the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court presides the process. Secondly, it has the power to elect the US President, if no candidate did not win the majority in the Electoral College during the Presidential Election. This happened only once, in 1824. The last, but not the least, is the so called ''Power of the Purse'' which stipulates that any bill that raises taxes must start in the House. 

Regarding the Senate, one of its powers is holding the impeachment trials, the latest one being that of the former Republican President Donald Trump in 2021. Furthermore, it has the power to ratify treaties, which requires a 2/3rds vote of the Senate. The most important power, nevertheless, is the confirmation power. The Senate votes to confirm the appointment of executive officers, such cabinet secretaries and federal judges. There are 1,000 offices in total which require Senate confirmation. 

The US Capital is the seat of both houses of the Congress. It is located on the Capitol Hill, at the eastern end of the National Mall, in Washington D.C. 

US Capitol