What is Congress?
Congress is the federal legislature, made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Together, these two chambers write and pass federal laws.
Congress.gov is the source of record for this guide. Its legislative process overview explains how the two chambers share lawmaking power.
Two chambers, two kinds of representation
The House represents districts
The House has 435 voting seats, divided among the states based on population. Each representative serves a congressional district for a two-year term. A state with one seat has one statewide district. Vacancies can leave fewer than 435 voting members in office.
D.C. and U.S. territories also send delegates or a resident commissioner, who cannot vote on final passage in the full House. The House membership guide explains seats, vacancies, and population-based representation.
The Senate represents states
The Senate has 100 seats, two for each of the 50 states, regardless of population. Each senator represents an entire state for a six-year term. About one-third of Senate seats face election every two years. D.C. and U.S. territories have no U.S. senators.
For readers who live in a state, that means one House representative and two senators. The Senate membership guide explains equal state representation and staggered terms.
What powers does Congress have?
Article I of the Constitution at Congress.gov sets out Congress’s powers and limits. Its main jobs include:
- Make federal laws. Congress debates, amends, and votes on legislation within its constitutional powers.
- Tax, spend, and borrow. Congress raises revenue, authorizes borrowing, and provides money for federal programs through appropriations.
- Regulate commerce. Congress regulates trade with foreign nations, among states, and with Tribal nations.
- Provide for national defense. Congress can declare war, raise and support armies, and provide and maintain a navy.
- Oversee the executive branch. Congressional committees hold hearings and investigate how federal agencies carry out laws and spend public money.
Some powers belong to just one chamber. Revenue bills must originate in the House. The House can impeach federal officials, and the Senate tries impeachments. The Senate also confirms many presidential nominees and gives advice and consent to treaties.
Is Congress the whole government?
No. Congress is the legislative branch. The president leads the executive branch, which carries out federal laws. The federal courts form the judicial branch, which interprets laws in cases before them. Congress is not the president, the courts, or a state legislature.
A bill must pass both chambers in the same form before it goes to the president. The president can sign it or veto it. Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. The bill-to-law guide covers the full process, including what happens when the president takes no action.
Follow what your members of Congress do
A headline about Congress does not tell you how your own members voted. The representative vote guide shows where to check official roll-call records. Check the vote question too: a procedural vote is not the same as final passage.