US Senate

Extracted Attributes

• Name

  United States Senate

• Type

  Legislative Body

• Part of

  United States Congress

• Location

  North wing of the Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., United States

• Term Length

  6 years

• Chamber Type

  Upper House

• Founding Date

  1789-03-04

• Established By

  Article One of the U.S. Constitution

• Number of Members

  100

• Presiding Officer

  Vice President of the United States

• Current Election Method

  Popular vote

• Original Election Method

  Appointed by state legislatures

• Representation per State

  2 Senators

• Key Legislative Practices

  Filibuster, Cloture

• Legislative Agenda Manager

  Majority Leader

• Number of States Represented

  50

• Presiding Officer (in absence of VP)

  President pro tempore

Timeline

• Established by Article One of the U.S. Constitution. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  1789-03-04

• Senators began to be elected by popular vote following the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  1913-01-01

United States Senate

The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the U.S. Constitution to pass or defeat federal legislation. The Senate also has exclusive power to confirm U.S. presidential appointments, to approve or reject treaties, and to convict or exonerate impeachment cases brought by the House. The Senate and the House provide a check and balance on the powers of the executive and judicial branches of government. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution, which has been in continuous effect since March 4, 1789. Each of the 50 states is represented by two senators who serve staggered six-year terms. In total, the Senate consists of 100 members. From its inception in 1789 until 1913, senators were appointed by the state legislature of their respective states. Since 1913, following ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment, however, senators have been elected through a statewide popular vote. The Senate has several powers of advice and consent. These include the approval of treaties, as well as the confirmation of Cabinet secretaries, federal judges (including justices of the Supreme Court), flag officers, regulatory officials, ambassadors, other federal executive officials, and federal uniformed officers. If no candidate receives a majority of electors for vice president, the duty falls to the Senate to elect one of the top two recipients of electors for that office. The Senate conducts trials of officials who have been impeached by the House. The Senate has typically been considered both a more deliberative and prestigious body than the House of Representatives due to its longer terms, smaller size, and statewide constituencies, which historically led to a more collegial and less partisan atmosphere. The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. Despite not being a senator, the vice president of the United States serves as presiding officer and president of the Senate by virtue of that office; the vice president may vote only if the Senate is equally divided. In the vice president's absence, the president pro tempore, who is traditionally the most senior member of the Senate's majority party, presides over the Senate, and more often by rule allows a junior senator to take the chair, guided by the parliamentarian. In the early 1920s, the practice of majority and minority parties electing their floor leaders began. The Senate's legislative and executive business is managed and scheduled by the Senate's majority leader, who, on occasion, negotiates some matters with the Senate's minority leader. A prominent practice in the Senate is the filibuster on some matters and its remedy the vote on cloture.

Web Search Results

• United States Senate - Wikipedia

  The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameralUnited States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the U.S. Constitution to pass or defeat federal legislation. [...] The Senate also has exclusive power to confirm U.S. presidential appointments, to approve or reject treaties, and to convict or exonerate impeachment cases brought by the House. The Senate and the House provide a check and balance on the powers of the executive and judicial branches of government. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution, which has been in continuous effect since March 4, 1789.( Each of the 50 states is represented by two [...] The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. Despite not being a senator, the vice president of the United States serves as presiding officer and president of the Senate by virtue of that office; the vice president may vote only if the Senate is equally divided. In the vice president's absence, the president pro tempore, who is traditionally the most senior member of the Senate's majority party, presides over the Senate, and

• The U.S. Senate - U.S. Capitol - Visitor Center

  Home Home ## Utility ## Language ## Main navigation ## Breadcrumb # The U.S. Senate "The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote." — The Constitution, Article 1, Section 3 (as amended) Senate chamber with a circular light in the ceiling shining above rows of chairs all facing a speakers podium in a half-circle shape [...] In the United States Senate all states are represented equally. Regardless of size or population, each state has two senators, who serve six-year terms. Unlike the House of Representatives, where all members must stand for election every two years, only one-third of the Senate’s seats are filled with each general election. Longer, overlapping Senate terms provide Congress with stability and continuity, and lessen the immediate pressure of public opinion on members of the Senate. Until the 1913 [...] The Senate shares full legislative power with the House of Representatives. In addition, the Senate has exclusive authority to approve–or reject–presidential nominations to executive and judicial offices, and to provide–or withhold–its “advice and consent” to treaties negotiated by the executive. The Senate also has the sole power to try impeachments. ### Criteria for Being a Senator ### Related Links Home U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Washington, DC 20510 (202) 226-8000 ## Footer menu

• Powers and Procedures - U.S. Senate

  The Senate takes action on bills, resolutions, amendments, motions, nominations, and treaties by voting. Senators vote in a variety of ways, including roll call votes, voice votes, and unanimous consent. Officers & Staff Vice President President Pro Tempore Secretary of the Senate Sergeant at Arms Party Secretaries Chaplain Committee & Office Staff Pages [...] The Senate is governed by the Constitution, a set of standing rules, precedents established in the course of the legislative process, and special rules of procedure adopted by statute for particular types of legislation. These rules determine how bills and resolutions are moved towards passage, the structure of Senate committees, how debate proceeds on the chamber floor, and how members cast votes. Treaties Image 12 [...] The Constitution gives the Senate the power to approve, by a two-thirds vote, treaties made by the executive branch. The Senate has rejected relatively few of the hundreds of treaties it has considered, although many have died in committee or been withdrawn by the president. The Senate may also amend a treaty or adopt changes to a treaty. The president may also enter into executive agreements with foreign nations that are not subject to Senate approval. Voting Image 13

• Representatives and Senators in Congress - GovTrack.us

  The United States Congress has two chambers, one called the Senate and the other called the House of Representatives (or “House” for short) which share the responsibilities of the legislative process to create federal statutory law. They occupy opposite ends of the Capitol Building. About the Senate ---------------- The United States’s 50 states each elect two senators for staggered six-year terms. A senator represents between 0.6 and 39 million people, depending on their state’s population. [...] Includes 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats 47 Total Seats 100 Vice Presidents of the United States may cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate and serve as the chamber’s ceremonial president. Although Republicans hold the most seats, they represent just 46.4% of the country’s population because the Senate gives two seats to each state regardless of each state’s population.

• U.S. Senate

  U.S. Senate =============== Skip Content Image 1: U.S. Flag Image 2: United States Senate Logo MENU - [x] SENATORS- [x] Contact Your Senators Leadership & Officers Former Senators Qualifications & Terms of Service Facts & Milestones States in the Senate COMMITTEES- [x] Membership & Assignments Hearings & Meetings History [...] Officers & Staff Powers & Procedures Origins & Foundations Parties & Leadership Historic Buildings & Spaces Traditions & Symbols Oral History Project Historical Highlights Senate Stories Blog Research Tools Contact | Content Responsibility | Usage Policy | Privacy Policy | Employment & Internships | Procurement | www.senate.gov [...] ABOUT THE SENATE- [x] Officers & Staff- [x] Vice President President Pro Tempore Secretary of the Senate Sergeant at Arms Party Secretaries Chaplain Committee & Office Staff Pages