The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the
federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, comprising
the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House 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; by contrast, each state is
represented in the Senate by two members, regardless of population.
There are a total of 100 Senators, who serve six-year terms. 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 federal courts inferior to the Supreme Court,
and to declare war. The Senate is fully equal to the House of
Representatives, and not a mere "chamber of review," as is the case
with the upper houses of the bicameral legislatures of many other
nations.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_of_the_United_States
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1485:
The Battle of Bosworth Field decisively ended the Wars of the Roses.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bosworth_Field)
1851:
The first America's Cup was won by the yacht America.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Cup)
1864:
Twelve European nations signed the First Geneva Convention, which
marked the beginning of the Red Cross movement led by Henry Dunant.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Geneva_Convention)
1911:
The theft of the Mona Lisa was discovered.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa)
1989:
Nolan Ryan struck out Rickey Henderson, becoming the first major
league baseball pitcher to record 5000 strikeouts.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Ryan)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"By a free country, I mean a country where people are allowed, so long
as they do not hurt their neighbours, to do as they like. I do not
mean a country where six men may make five men do exactly as they
like." -- Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Lord Salisbury
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Gascoyne-Cecil%2C_3rd_Marquess_of_Salis…)