Qualifications

• Congress is divided into two houses–the House of Representatives and the Senate–and there are different qualifications for serving in each.

  Representatives–the gender-neutral term for congressmen and
  congresswomen–must be at least 25 years old, citizens of the United
  States for at least seven years and residents of the state they
  represent.

  Senators must be at least 30 years old, United States citizens for at
  least nine years and residents of the state they represent.

Election and terms

• Congressmen are elected by the
  residents of the state they represent. Members of the House serve for
  two years, and members of the Senate serve for six.

  In the event that a congressman cannot complete a term, the process
  of replacing that person varies from state to state. Some states hold
  special elections, whereas others allow their governors to appoint a
  replacement.

  Each state elects two senators and a varying number of
  representatives, based proportionally on the state’s population. The
  Senate has 100 members and the House of Representatives has 435.

Responsibilities and duties

• The U.S. Constitution clearly
  enumerates the responsibilities of Congress. They include regulating
  domestic and international trade, declaring war and maintaining and
  supporting the military.

  Congressmen’s duties vary according to their stature and party affiliation. Both of the two major political parties
  have a leader in each House (called either the majority leader or the
  minority leader, depending on which party has more members in the
  House). Party leaders are responsible for maintaining diplomatic
  relations with one another and with other branches of the government.

  Each house also has many committees that focus on a particular
  responsibility. Some examples include energy, veterans’ affairs, housing
  and foreign relations. Some committees have broad responsibilities,
  such as the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

  One of the most common duties of a congressman is act as a conduit
  between the federal government and the local authorities and residents
  of the areas they represent. A local police force, for example, might
  ask a congressman for help receiving money or other services from the
  Department of Justice. A local unit of a veterans’ organization, such
  as the American Legion, might likewise ask a congressman for support in
  obtaining something from the Veterans Administration.

Salary

• Members of Congress receive
  annual salaries. They pay is not set specifically in the Constitution.
  It changes according to the cost of living and other economic
  conditions. The base pay for a congressman exceeds $150,000.

Checks and balances

• The three branches of government
  — legislative, executive and judicial — were given certain powers so
  that no one branch would have too much power. Congress, for example,
  approves laws and sends them to the president. The president can reject,
  or veto, those laws, but Congress can in turn override that decision.

  Congress also has the sole authority of removing the president from office.

Fun fact

• The vice president is the
  president of the Senate but votes only in the event of a tie. The House
  is led by the Speaker, who stands third in the line of succession for
  the presidency. Because naturalized citizens are not eligible to serve
  as president, the Senate must elect a Speaker who is a natural-born
  citizen of the United States.