![]() Graph showing historical party control of the U.S. The United States has had 50 states since 1959, thus the Senate has had 100 senators since 1959. Article Five of the Constitution stipulates that no constitutional amendment may be created to deprive a state of its equal suffrage in the Senate without that state's consent. ![]() The name is derived from the senatus, Latin for council of elders, derived from senex, meaning old man in Latin. įirst convened in 1789, the Senate of the United States was formed on the example of the ancient Roman Senate. The Connecticut Compromise provided, among other things, that each state-regardless of population-would be represented by two senators. In the end, some small states-unwilling to give up their equal power with larger states under the Articles of Confederation-threatened to secede and won the day by a vote of 5–4 in what became known as the Connecticut Compromise. While bicameralism and the idea of a proportional "people's house" were widely popular, discussions about Senate representation proved contentious. The drafters of the Constitution debated more about how to award representation in the Senate than about any other part of the Constitution. Main article: History of the United States Senate The Senate's legislative and executive business is managed and scheduled by the Senate majority leader. In the early 1920s, the practice of majority and minority parties electing their floor leaders began. In the vice president's absence, the president pro tempore, who is traditionally the senior member of the party holding a majority of seats, presides over the Senate. ![]() The vice president of the United States serves as presiding officer and president of the Senate by virtue of that office, despite not being a senator, and has a vote only if the Senate is equally divided. The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The Senate has typically been considered both a more deliberative and prestigious body than the House of Representatives due to its longer terms, smaller size, and statewide constituencies, which historically led to a more collegial and less partisan atmosphere. The Senate conducts trials of those impeached by the House. If no candidate receives a majority of electors for vice president, the duty falls to the Senate to elect one of the top two recipients of electors for that office. These include the approval of treaties, and the confirmation of Cabinet secretaries, federal judges (including justices of the Supreme Court), flag officers, regulatory officials, ambassadors, other federal executive officials and federal uniformed officers. Since 1913, each senator is elected by a statewide popular vote, as required by the Seventeenth Amendment.Īs the upper chamber of Congress, the Senate has several powers of advice and consent. From 1789 to 1913, each senator was appointed by the state legislature of the state they represented. Each of the 50 states is represented by two senators who serve staggered terms of six years, for a total of 100 senators. The composition and powers of the Senate are established by Article One of the United States Constitution. The Senate plays a role in the passage of federal legislation it also confirms presidential appointments and provides a vital check and balance on the powers of the executive and judicial branches of government. Together, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives (the lower chamber of Congress) comprise the federal bicameral legislature of the United States. The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress. Standing Rules of the United States Senate
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