THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
Congress is one of the three coordinate branches of the United States Government. It is the legislative branch and consists of a Senate, to which the Members, two from each State, are elected for a term of six years; and the House of Representatives, to which the Members are elected for a term of two years. The membership is based on the population of the United States, and in January, 1939, numbered 435 Members. The apportionment is made among the several States in the ratio that the whole number of persons in each State bears to the total population of the country. States arrange for their own congressional districts after the number of Members of the House of Representatives from each State has been determined upon. There are in the House, also, 2 Territorial Delegates—1 each from Alaska and Hawaii—and 2 Resident Commissioners—1 from the Commonwealth of the Philippines and 1 from Puerto Rico. They have the right to debate but not to vote.
BRONZE DOORS AT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WING, BY CRAWFORD
SENATE CHAMBER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CHAMBER
The Constitution provides that Congress shall assemble on January 3 of each year (20th amendment); and each Congress usually consists of two sessions.
SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
The powers of Congress are set forth in Article I, section 8 of the Constitution, which is divided into 18 clauses. The power to raise revenue originates in the House of Representatives, which carries the burden in providing necessary appropriations; the Senate has the power of confirming or rejecting appointments made by the President and to ratify treaties. Measures are originated in the form of bills or resolutions, which are thereupon referred to committees for report before being introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives.
The age requirement for eligibility as a Member of the House of Representatives is 25 years, and for the Senate 30 years; each person must have been a citizen of the United States for seven years and a citizen of the State from which elected.
Members of Congress are by the Constitution granted exemption from arrest under certain conditions while attending the sessions of their respective Houses and in going to and returning from such sessions, “and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.”
The proceedings and debates in Congress are published in the Congressional Record, which is printed daily at the Government Printing Office with such rapidity that even though a session of Congress may continue until late in the night a copy of the Record is at hand for each Member the following morning.
OLD HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OFFICE BUILDING
NEW HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OFFICE BUILDING
A bill or resolution, to become a law, must be passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and approved by the President. If there are points of disagreement in the Senate or House of Representatives in the enactment of legislation, each body appoints conferees to settle the points in dispute. The President has the power to veto a bill, but the measure can become law if reconsidered and passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives by a two-thirds majority. Occasionally the President makes use of the “pocket veto”; that is, if the bill was passed within 10 days (Sundays excepted) of the adjournment of Congress, the President may retain (pocket) the bill, which is thus killed at the end of the session without the interposition of a direct veto, and without risking the chances of its passage over the veto. If the President does not interpose the ordinary veto, a bill becomes law at the expiration of 10 days.
UNION STATION
The President is given authority by the Constitution to convene either or both Houses of Congress in extraordinary session.