All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.

The Senate, the smaller of the two chambers, is composed of two members

for each state as provided by the Constitution. Membership in the House is based on population and its size is therefore not specified in the Constitution.

The first Congress under the Constitution met on March 4, 1789, in the Federal Hall in New York City. The membership then consisted of 20 Senators (because 3 of the original 13 states of the USA had not ratified the Constitution already) and 59 Representatives.

For more than 100 years after the adoption of the Constitution, senators were not elected by direct vote of the people but were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were looked on as representatives of their home states. Their duty was to

ensure that their states were treated equally in all legislation. The 17th Amendment, adopted in 1913, provided for direct election of the Senate.

Now the Senate consists of 100 members, 2 for each State, electe

Besides these powers, each of the chambers has some powers of its own. The revenue bills, for example, must originate in the House of Representatives. The large states may thus appear to have more influence over the public purse than the small states. In practice, however, each house can vote against legislation passed by the other house. The Senate may disapprove a House revenue bill -- or any bill, for that matter -- or add amendments which change its nature. In that event, a conference committee made up of members from both houses must work out a compromise acceptable to both sides before the bill becomes law. The Senate also has certain powers especially reserved to that body, including the authority to confirm presidential appointments of high officials and ambassadors of the federal government as well as authority to ratify all treaties by a two-thirds vote. Unfavorable action in either instance nullifies executive action. In the case of impeachment of federal officials, the House has the sole right to bring charges of misconduct that can lead to an impeachment trial. The Senate has the sole power to try impeachment cases and to find officials guilty or not guilty. A finding of guilt results in the removal of the federal official from public office. While under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, both Houses confirm the President's nomination for Vice-President when there is a vacancy in that office. The Congress also plays a role in presidential elections. Both Houses meet in joint session on the sixth day of January, following a presidential election, unless by law they appoint a different day, to count the electoral votes. If no candidate receives a majority of the total electoral votes, the House of Representatives, each state delegation having one vote, chooses the President from among the three candidates having the largest number of electoral votes and the Senate chooses the Vice President from the two candidates having the largest number of votes for that office.

Senators are chosen in statewide elections held in even-numbered years. The senatorial term is six years, and every two years one-third of the Senate stands for election. Hence, two-thirds of the senators are always persons with some legislative experience at the national level. The Senate is considered a "continuing body," meaning it never goes out of existence. Only one-third of its membership runs for re-election at any one time. The continuity and six-year terms were meant to allow the Senate to serve as a restraining influence on the House. Since a Senator represents an entire state, he/she has a more heterogenous electorate and must be concerned with a broader range of views and interests than a Member of the House with a narrower constituency.

State legislatures divide the states into congressional districts, which must be substantially equal in population. Every two years, the voters of each district choose a representative for Congress. It is theoretically possible for the House to be composed entirely of legislative novices. In practice, however, most members are reelected several times and the House, like the Senate, can always count on a core group of experienced legislators. With its entire membership standing for election every two years, the House of Representatives is considered the chamber closest to the electorate. In constitutional theory, running so frequently for re-election is believed to allow Representatives to come to know their constituencies well. This enables House Members to accurately reflect the views of the local citizenry and better advocate the needs of each district. Members of the House are also likely to be more sensitive to changes in popular sentiment.

Unlike some other parliamentary bodies, both the Senate and the House of Representatives have equal legislative functions and powers with certain exceptions.

There are important corollaries to the investigative po

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 3031
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)