Congress is the legislative branch of the US government β€” the body that writes and passes laws. It's divided into two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Both must agree on a bill before it becomes law, which is why legislation moves slowly (by design).

House of Representatives vs. Senate

The House (435 members):

  • Representatives serve 2-year terms (all seats up for election every 2 years)
  • Each member represents a congressional district of roughly equal population (~760,000 people)
  • Controlled by the party with the most seats (majority party picks the Speaker of the House)
  • Originates all tax and spending bills
  • Can impeach the President (simple majority vote)

The Senate (100 members):

  • Senators serve 6-year terms (1/3 of seats up every 2 years)
  • Each state gets exactly 2 senators regardless of population (Wyoming = California = 2 each)
  • Confirms presidential appointments (judges, cabinet members, ambassadors)
  • Ratifies treaties (requires 2/3 vote)
  • Holds impeachment trials (2/3 vote needed to convict and remove)
  • The filibuster requires 60 votes (not just 51) to advance most legislation

How a Bill Becomes Law

  1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill. Anyone can write a bill, but only a member can formally introduce it.
  2. Committee: The bill is sent to the relevant committee (e.g., a tax bill goes to the Ways and Means Committee). The committee holds hearings, debates amendments, and votes. Most bills die here β€” only about 5% of introduced bills become law.
  3. Floor vote: If the committee approves the bill, it goes to the full chamber for debate and a vote. The House requires a simple majority (218 votes). The Senate effectively requires 60 votes due to the filibuster.
  4. Other chamber: If one chamber passes the bill, it goes to the other. The other chamber can pass it as-is, amend it, or reject it.
  5. Conference: If the House and Senate pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences and both chambers vote again on the final version.
  6. President: If both chambers pass the same bill, it goes to the President, who can sign it (becomes law) or veto it. Congress can override a veto with a 2/3 vote in both chambers (rare β€” only about 7% of vetoes are overridden).

Why Is Congress So Slow?

  • The filibuster: The Senate requires 60 votes (not 51) for most legislation. Since neither party usually has 60 seats, bipartisan agreement is needed β€” which rarely happens on controversial issues.
  • Committee gatekeeping: Committee chairs decide which bills get hearings. They can simply refuse to schedule a vote on bills they oppose.
  • Divided government: When different parties control the House, Senate, and/or Presidency, passing legislation requires compromise β€” which has become increasingly rare.
  • By design: The Founders deliberately made the legislative process slow and difficult. They wanted to prevent hasty, poorly-considered laws. The system favors the status quo over change.

What Congress Actually Spends Time On

Congress must pass spending bills to fund the government (the annual budget) and periodically raise the debt ceiling. These "must-pass" bills consume enormous time and political energy. Failure to pass a budget results in a government shutdown. Failure to raise the debt ceiling could result in a default on US debt.

🎯 Key Takeaway: Congress has two chambers β€” the House (435 members, 2-year terms, population-based) and the Senate (100 members, 6-year terms, 2 per state). Both must pass the same bill before it goes to the President. The filibuster means the Senate effectively requires 60 votes for most legislation, which is why major bills are so hard to pass. Only about 5% of introduced bills become law. The system is slow by design β€” the Founders prioritized deliberation over speed.

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