What is Congress and What Does Congress Do?
A brief introduction to Congress.
The United States Congress has a reputation for not being able to get anything done — and this reputation is well-deserved at times.
But what is Congress anyway, and what are they actually supposed to do? What’s their job description?
As it turns out, there’s a lot Congress is responsible for.
Congress is Divided into Two Groups.
No — not Democrats and Republicans. The two groups we’re concerned about here are the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The House of Representatives.
As of 2023, there are 435 elected members of the House of Representatives. These representatives are divided among the 50 United States based on the total population of each state.
For example, California is the most populated state and has 52 seats in the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, states like Wyoming with one of the lowest populations only receive one seat in the House.
The House of Representatives presiding member is called the “Speaker of the House.” As of 2023, Kevin McCarthy is the Speaker of the House.
Did you know?
