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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.
- List of Current United States Senators
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This is a list of individuals serving in the United States...
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The U.S. Senate chamber Class photo of the 111th United...
- List of Current United States Senators
LOCATION AND HOURS. Visitor Hours & Information. SAFETY & SECURITY. Prohibited Items. Emergency Evacuation Information. FREQUENTLY REQUESTED INFORMATION. Getting to the Capitol. Accessibility Services. More information on planning your visit is available on the Capitol Visitor Center's website.
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- Constitutional framework
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- U.S. senators
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 role of the Senate was conceived by the Founding Fathers as a check on the popularly elected House of Representatives. Thus, each state, regardless of size or population, is equally represented. Further, until the Seventeenth Amendment of the Constitution (1913), election to the Senate was indirect, by the state legislatures. They are now elected directly by voters of each state.
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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.
As in the House of Representatives, political parties and the committee system dominate procedure and organization. Each party elects a leader, generally a senator of considerable influence in his or her own right, to coordinate Senate activities. The leader of the largest party is known as the majority leader, while the opposition leader is known as the minority leader. The Senate leaders also play an important role in appointing members of their party to the Senate committees, which consider and process legislation and exercise general control over government agencies and departments. The vice president of the United States serves as the president of the Senate but can vote only in instances where there is a tie. In the vice president’s absence, the president pro tempore—generally the longest-serving member from the majority party—is the presiding officer of the Senate.
Sixteen standing committees are grouped mainly around major policy areas, each having staffs, budgets, and various subcommittees. The chair of each committee is a member of the majority party. Among important standing committees are those on appropriations, finance, government operations, foreign relations, and the judiciary. Thousands of bills are referred to the committees during each session of Congress, though the committees take up only a fraction of these bills. At “mark-up” sessions, which may be open or closed, the final language for a law is considered. The committees hold hearings and call witnesses to testify about the legislation before them. Select and special committees are also created to make studies or to conduct investigations and report to the Senate; these committees cover aging, ethics, Indian affairs, and intelligence.
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The smaller membership of the Senate permits more extended debate than is common in the House of Representatives. To check a filibuster—endless debate obstructing legislative action—three-fifths of the membership (60 senators) must vote for cloture. (In 2013 the Senate rule for invoking cloture was reinterpreted to permit cloture by majority vote for debate regarding all presidential nominations except those to the Supreme Court, and in 2017 the rule was similarly reinterpreted for Supreme Court nominations.) If the legislation under debate would change the Senate’s standing rules, cloture may be invoked only on a vote of two-thirds of those present. There is a less elaborate structure of party control in the Senate; the position taken by influential senators may be more significant than the position (if any) taken by the party.
The constitutional provisions regarding qualifications for membership of the Senate specify a minimum age of 30, citizenship of the United States for nine years, and residence in the state from which elected.
The table provides a list of current U.S. senators.
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Fast Facts: United States Senate. The United States Senate is part of the Legislative Branch of government and is made up of 100 members called “Senators.”. Each State is represented by two Senators elected statewide, rather than by voting districts. Senators serve an unlimited number of six-year terms, staggered in a way to prevent both ...
The visitor's center is located below the East Plaza of the Capitol between Constitution and Independence Avenues. ... The Senate convened at 10:00 a.m. and adjourned ...
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U.S. Capitol Building. View on Map. 1.5 million square feet. Here, the Senate and House of Representatives come together to discuss, debate and deliberate national policy; develop consensus; and craft the country's laws.
Jun 28, 2017 · The United States Senate is the upper house of the legislative branch of the federal government, with the House of Representatives referred to as the lower house. In the United States, the terms ...
