United States Congress

 Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government that represents the American people and makes the nation's laws. It shares power with the executive branch, led by the president, and the judicial branch, whose highest body is the Supreme Court of the United States.Make laws. Declare war.Senators represent their entire states, but members of the House represent individual districts. Today, Congress consists of 100 senators (two from each state) and 435 voting members of the House of Representatives. The terms of office and number of members directly affects each institution.Through legislative debate and compromise, the U.S. Congress makes laws that influence our daily lives. It holds hearings to inform the legislative process, conducts investigations to oversee the executive branch, and serves as the voice of the people and the states in the federal government.Why is US Congress so Powerful? 1) It is independent from the executive branch of government and cannot be controlled by it. Congress can and does ignore or over-rule presidential policies. 2) It controls the purse-strings, a particular function of the House of Representatives.Congress has five main functions: lawmaking, representing the people, performing oversight, helping constituents, and educating the public.Congress is made up of two houses: the Senate (upper) and the House of Representatives (lower).