In US Politics, What is the Difference Between Congress, the Senate, and the House of Representatives?
There are a number of differences between Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, but they all function as the legislative branch of the federal government. Essentially, Congress generates potential laws in a form known as a bill. A bill may start in the House of Representatives or the Senate, but it is not usually presented to the executive branch, i.e. the president, until both houses have worked out their differences over wording and intention of the proposed law.
There are a number of differences between Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, but they all function as the legislative branch of the federal government. Essentially, Congress generates potential laws in a form known as a bill. A bill may start in the House of Representatives or the Senate, but it is not usually presented to the executive branch, i.e. the president, until both houses have worked out their differences over wording and intention of the proposed law. When referring to the entire legislative branch, the proper collective term is Congress. Unlike the people who serve in the Senate or House of Representatives, the Congress as a whole exists for one year at a time. Historians may refer to the 87th Congress, for example, meaning those Senate and House members who met during that particular year. In that sense, “Congress” is a year-long event, while the Senate and House of Representatives buildings have existed for many decades.
