The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, established by Article I of the Constitution of the United States (1787). It consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Congress holds the primary federal legislative power, including the authority to pass laws, levy taxes, declare war, approve treaties, and oversee the executive branch.

Congress is composed of 535 voting members. The Senate comprises 100 senators, two from each state regardless of population, each serving six-year terms on a staggered schedule. The House of Representatives comprises 435 voting members apportioned among the states by population, each serving two-year terms. Reapportionment of House seats occurs following each decennial census. In addition to voting members, the House includes non-voting delegates representing Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories.

Both chambers must pass identical versions of a bill for it to be sent to the President for signature or veto. When the two chambers pass differing versions, a conference committee is convened to reconcile them. A presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers.

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution enumerates specific congressional powers, including regulating interstate and foreign commerce, coining money, establishing post offices, and raising and maintaining armed forces. The Necessary and Proper Clause grants Congress authority to pass laws required to carry out its enumerated powers. The scope of that clause has been a persistent subject of constitutional debate; see United States Congress - Necessary and Proper Clause Viewpoints.

Congress also holds the power of the purse — all revenue bills must originate in the House — and exercises oversight of the executive branch through hearings, investigations, and the confirmation process. The Senate holds the exclusive power to confirm presidential nominees to federal offices and to ratify treaties by a two-thirds supermajority.

The Speaker of the House is elected by the full membership of the House and is third in the presidential line of succession, after the Vice President and the President pro tempore of the Senate. Each chamber organizes its business through majority and minority party leadership structures, including floor leaders and whips. The Vice President of the United States serves as President of the Senate and casts tie-breaking votes; in practice, day-to-day Senate presiding duties fall to a President pro tempore elected by Senate members.

Members of Congress are elected by popular vote within their respective states or districts. Senators are elected statewide; Representatives are elected from single-member congressional districts drawn at the state level. The process by which district boundaries are drawn — redistricting — is contested on partisan and legal grounds; see United States Congress - Redistricting Viewpoints.

The 17th Amendment (1913) established the direct popular election of senators, replacing the prior system of election by state legislatures. Debate over whether this change altered the federal balance of power continues; see United States Congress - 17th Amendment Viewpoints.

The Senate operates under rules that have historically permitted extended debate — colloquially known as the filibuster — which can delay or prevent a vote on legislation unless 60 of 100 senators vote for cloture. The filibuster has been modified several times, most notably in 2013 and 2017, when the Senate eliminated its application to executive and judicial nominations. Whether the filibuster should be preserved, reformed, or eliminated is a contested question; see United States Congress - Filibuster Viewpoints.

Congress exercises oversight of the executive and judicial branches through committee investigations, subpoenas, and the power of the purse. The House holds the sole power of impeachment — a formal charge of misconduct — while the Senate holds the sole power to conduct impeachment trials. Removal requires a two-thirds Senate vote. Three presidents have been impeached by the House — Andrew Johnson (1868), Bill Clinton (1998), and Donald Trump (2019 and 2021) — and none has been removed by the Senate.

The First Congress convened in 1789 following ratification of the Constitution. The institution has evolved substantially over more than two centuries, including changes to its size, powers, internal rules, and relationship to the executive branch. For a full account, see United States Congress - History.

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