Background Information
The Constitution (Article I, Section 4) originally provided that "The Congress
shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first
Monday in December, unless they shall by law appoint a different day." Pursuant
to a resolution of the Congress of the Confederation in 1788, the first session
of the First Congress under the Constitution convened March 4, 1789. Up to and including
May 20, 1820, 18 acts were passed providing for the meeting of Congress on other
days in the year. The first and second sessions of the First Congress were held
in New York City. Subsequently, Philadelphia was the meeting place through the first
session of the Sixth Congress and, since then, Congress has convened in Washington,
D.C. The 20th Amendment to the Constitution, proclaimed as ratified February 6,
1933, established noon on the 3rd day of January as the meeting date, unless the
Congress by law appoints a different day.
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