What is the difference between the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives?
The United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives are the two bodies of the Legislative Branch of the U.S. Government. The U.S. Senate is composed of 100 members, 2 from each State, who are elected to serve for a term of 6 years. Senators were originally chosen by the State legislatures. This procedure was changed in 1913 by the 17th Amendment to the Constitution which mandated that Senators be elected by the people. There are 3 classes of Senators, and a new class is elected every 2 years. A Senator must be at least 30 years old, must have been a citizen of the United States for at least 9 years, and must be a resident of the State from which they are elected.The United States House of Representatives is the other body of the Legislative Branch of the U.S. Government and is made up of 435 Representatives. The number representing each State is determined by population, but every State is entitled to at least one Representative.
