WHAT IS THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS?
The United States government has three branches—a legislative branch, an executive branch, and a judicial branch. Congress is the legislative branch. Its main job is to make the nation’s laws. Voters in different states elect the members of Congress. Each of the members represents many citizens. Members of Congress try to learn the views of the citizens they represent. They try to make laws that reflect the citizens’ wishes. WHAT DOES CONGRESS DO? The most important task of Congress is to make laws. But it has many other duties as well. Congress decides what taxes shall be collected and how government money will be spent. It sets rules for trade between the different states. Only Congress can order the printing of money or declare war. HOW IS CONGRESS ORGANIZED? The Congress itself has two parts. One is called the Senate. The other is the House of Representatives. THE SENATE The Senate has 100 members, called senators. Each state, big or small, elects two senators. Senators are elected
