What Is The Difference Between House And Senate?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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represent their entire states, but members of the House represent individual districts. The number of districts in each state is determined by a state's population. … Today, Congress consists of 100 senators (two from each state) and 435 voting members of the House of Representatives.

What is the House and Senate?

Established by Article I of the Constitution, the Legislative Branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress. … The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population.

What is the difference between a senator and a congressman?

For this reason, and in order to distinguish who is a member of which house, a member of the Senate is typically referred to as (followed by “name” from “state”), and a member of the House of Representatives is usually referred to as Congressman or Congresswoman (followed by “name” from the “number” district of …

What does the House of Representatives do?

As per the Constitution, the U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. The House is one of Congress's two chambers (the other is the U.S. Senate), and part of the federal government's legislative branch.

How many terms can a senator serve?

Senators are elected to six-year terms, and every two years the members of one class—approximately one-third of the senators—face election or reelection.

How much do Senators make?

Position Salary Senators and House Representatives

$174,000
Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico $174,000 President pro tempore of the Senate $193,400 Majority leader and minority leader of the Senate $193,400

Are filibusters allowed in the House?

At the time, both the Senate and the House of Representatives allowed filibusters as a way to prevent a vote from taking place. Subsequent revisions to House rules limited filibuster privileges in that chamber, but the Senate continued to allow the tactic.

What is the main purpose of the Senate?

The framers of the Constitution created the United States Senate to protect the rights of individual states and safeguard minority opinion in a system of government designed to give greater power to the national government.

What power does the House have that the Senate doesn t?

Under the Constitution, the House of Representatives has the power to impeach a government official, in effect serving as prosecutor. The Senate has the sole power to conduct impeachment trials, essentially serving as jury and judge. Since 1789 the Senate has tried 20 federal officials, including three presidents.

What is the nickname for the House of Representatives?

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives This campaign button from one of Tip O'Neill's re-election efforts puts the Congressman's accepted nickname front and center. “Old Man Eloquent,” “Sunset Cox,” “Czar Reed,” “Uncle Joe,” “Vinegar Bend,” “Mr. Sam,” the “Little Giant.”

Why are there only 435 members of the House of Representatives?

Because the House wanted a manageable number of members, Congress twice set the size of the House at 435 voting members. The first law to do so was passed on August 8, 1911. … Finally, in 1929 the Permanent Apportionment Act became law. It permanently set the maximum number of representatives at 435.

How long can you be a House of Representatives?

Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are considered for reelection every even year. Senators however, serve six-year terms and elections to the Senate are staggered over even years so that only about 1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection during any election.

What is the minimum age for a senator?

The framers of the Constitution set the minimum age for Senate service at 30 years.

Have there ever been term limits for Congress?

In May 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5–4 in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, 514 U.S. 779 (1995), that states cannot impose term limits upon their federal Representatives or Senators. In the 1994 elections, part of the Republican platform included legislation for term limits in Congress.

How many US Senators are up for election in 2022?

The 2022 United States Senate elections will be held on November 8, 2022, with 34 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested in regular elections, the winners of which will serve six-year terms in the United States Congress from January 3, 2023, to January 3, 2029.

Do Senators pay taxes?

Members of Congress pay income taxes just like every other American. The U.S. tax code states that

everyone who receives revenue must pay an income tax

, including Representatives and Senators. That covers income derived from private business, government salaries, military pay, and even unemployment checks.

Rachel Ostrander
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Rachel Ostrander
Rachel is a career coach and HR consultant with over 5 years of experience working with job seekers and employers. She holds a degree in human resources management and has worked with leading companies such as Google and Amazon. Rachel is passionate about helping people find fulfilling careers and providing practical advice for navigating the job market.