Congress of the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. It is a bicameral institution, comprising the House of Representatives (the 'lower house') and the Senate (the 'upper house'). The House of Representatives consists of 435 members, each of whom represents a congressional district and serves for a two-year term. Seats in the House are apportioned among the states on the basis of population. However, in the Senate, each state is represented by two members regardless of their population. There are a total of 100 Senators, who serve six-year terms. Both representatives and senators are directly elected by the people but in some states the governor may appoint a temporary replacement when a Senate seat is vacant.
The United States Constitution vests all the legislative powers of the federal government in the Congress. The powers of Congress are limited to those expressly enumerated in the Constitution; all other powers are reserved to the states and the people, except where the Constitution provides otherwise. Significant powers of Congress include the authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, to levy taxes, to establish courts inferior to the Supreme Court, to maintain the armed forces, and to declare war. Insofar as passing legislation is concerned, the Senate is fully equal to the House of Representatives. The Senate is not a mere 'chamber of review,' as is the case with the upper houses of the bicameral legislatures of most other nations."
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