The Senate

Extracted Attributes

• Type

  Deliberative assembly, often upper house of a bicameral legislature

• Composition

  Composed of senators (elected, appointed, or by other methods)

• Name Origin

  Ancient Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus, from senex meaning 'the elder' or 'old man')

• Powers (General)

  Asymmetrical duties and powers compared to lower houses; can alter or block bills, though sometimes limited

• Primary Function

  Provide 'sober second thought' on legislation

• Location (US Senate)

  U.S. Capitol building, Washington, D.C., United States

• Structure (US Senate)

  One of the two houses of the U.S. Congress

• Key Powers (US Senate)

  Ratification of treaties (two-thirds majority), approval of important public appointments (cabinet members, ambassadors, Supreme Court justices), adjudication of impeachment proceedings (two-thirds majority for conviction)

• Membership (US Senate)

  Two senators elected per state

• Term Length (US Senate)

  Six-year terms for senators

• Founding Date (US Senate)

  1789-00-00

• Term Staggering (US Senate)

  Approximately one-third of membership terms expire every two years ('the house that never dies')

• Legislative Role (US Senate)

  Shares responsibility for all lawmaking with the House of Representatives; both houses must approve identical document

• Procedural Characteristics (US Senate)

  Rules and procedures favor deliberation and provide significant procedural leverage to individual Senators

Timeline

• Established as one of the two houses of the legislature (Congress) of the United States under the Constitution. (Source: Britannica, house.gov)

  1789-00-00

• Faces a dilemma regarding 'The Big Beautiful Bill' (passed by The House and endorsed by President Trump), which makes TCJA Tax Cuts permanent and is projected by the CBO to add trillions to the US National Debt, potentially forcing the Federal Reserve to raise Interest Rates. (Source: related_documents, provided summary)

  Ongoing

Senate

A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: senex meaning "the elder" or "old man") and therefore considered wiser and more experienced members of the society or ruling class. However the Roman Senate was not the ancestor or predecessor of modern parliamentarism in any sense, because the Roman senate was not a de jure legislative body. Many countries have an assembly named a senate, composed of senators who may be elected, appointed, have inherited the title, or gained membership by other methods, depending on the country. Modern senates typically serve to provide a chamber of "sober second thought" to consider legislation passed by a lower house, whose members are usually elected. Most senates have asymmetrical duties and powers compared with their respective lower house meaning they have special duties, for example to fill important political positions or to pass special laws. Conversely many senates have limited powers in changing or stopping bills under consideration and efforts to stall or veto a bill may be bypassed by the lower house or another branch of government.

Web Search Results

• United States Senate | Definition, History, & Facts - Britannica

  The Senate is given important powers under the “advice and consent” provisions (Article II, section 2) of the Constitution: ratification of treaties requires a two-thirds majority of all senators present and a simple majority for approval of important public appointments, such as those of cabinet members, ambassadors, and justices of the Supreme Court. The Senate also adjudicates impeachment proceedings initiated in the House of Representatives, a two-thirds majority being necessary for [...] # United States Senate Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. ## News • U.S. Capitol building, Washington, D.C. United States Senate, one of the two houses of the legislature (Congress) of the United States, established in 1789 under the Constitution. Each state elects two senators for six-year terms. The terms of about one-third of the Senate membership expire every two years, earning the chamber the nickname “the house that never dies.” [...] The Senate shares with the House of Representatives responsibility for all lawmaking within the United States. For an act of Congress to be valid, both houses must approve an identical document. The original copy of the constitution of the United States; housed in the National Archives, Washington, D.C. Britannica Quiz American History and Politics Quiz

• U.S. Senate | house.gov

  Home # U.S. Senate History and Justice, sculpture above the main door to the U.S. Senate, east portico The U.S. Senate, together with the U.S. House of Representatives, makes up the U.S. Congress. The Senate holds certain unique powers and obligations. Its makeup is different too: two senators represent each state, and senators serve staggered six-year terms. ## Senators Find your senator by state, name, or U.S. Senate class. ## Oral History Project [...] Even more information is available to you at the Senate website. U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-224-3121 TTY: 202-225-1904 [...] Since 1976 the Senate Historical Office has interviewed Senate officers, parliamentarians, clerks, police officers, chiefs of staff, reporters, photographers, Senate pages, and senators. These interviews cover the breadth of the 20th century and now the 21st century, and include a diverse group of personalities who witnessed events first-hand. ## Rumors! Tall Tales About Senate Art Learn about colorful yet false stories about the Senate, its art, and history. ## Visit the Senate Website

• U.S. Senate

  Membership & Assignments Hearings & Meetings History ### LEGISLATION & RECORDS Bills, Acts, & Laws Nominations Treaties Votes Floor Proceedings Rules & Procedure Landmark Legislation Sessions of Congress Senate Archives Public Disclosure ### ART & ARTIFACTS Fine Art Decorative Art Historical Images Historical Artifacts Thematic Collections ### ABOUT THE SENATE [...] 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 [...] Powers & Procedures- [x] Censure Declarations of War Expulsion Filibuster & Cloture Impeachment Investigations Nominations Rules Treaties Voting Origins & Foundations- [x] The Senate & the Constitution Electing & Appointing Senators Committee System Idea of the Senate Parties & Leadership

• The Legislative Process: Overview (Video) - Congress.gov

  Article I of the U.S. Constitution grants all legislative powers to a bicameral Congress: a House of Representatives and a Senate that are the result of a “Great Compromise” seeking to balance the effects of popular majorities with the interests of the states. Our system currently provides for a two-year term of office for House members from the 435 population-based districts. In the Senate, voters of each state elect two Senators, who serve 6-year terms that overlap (such that only one-third [...] The two chambers are fundamentally equal in their legislative roles and functions. Only the House can originate revenue legislation, and only the Senate confirms presidential nominations and approves treaties, but the enactment of law always requires both chambers to separately agree to the same bill in the same form before presenting it to the President. [...] Because each chamber has the constitutional authority to make its own rules, the House and Senate have developed some very different ways of processing legislation, perhaps partially flowing from their constitutional differences. In general, House rules and practices allow a numerical majority to process legislation relatively quickly. Senate rules and procedures, on the other hand, favor deliberation over quick action, as they provide significant procedural leverage to individual Senators.

• Origins and Foundations - U.S. Senate

  U.S. Flag United States Senate Logo # Origins and Foundations ### Senate Historical Office Information provided by the Senate Historical Office. Questions about Senate History? Email a Senate historian. Senate Logo ### SENATORS ### COMMITTEES ### LEGISLATION & RECORDS ### ART & ARTIFACTS ### ABOUT THE SENATE Contact | Content Responsibility | Usage Policy | Privacy Policy | Employment & Internships | Procurement | www.senate.gov

• Instance Of

  Q215380