Frequently Asked Questions About Congress

What is a Bill? 
A bill is the form used for most legislation, and may originate in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, except for bills that will raise revenue, which must originate in the House.

There are two types of bills – public and private. A public bill is one that affects the public generally. A bill that affects a specified individual or a private entity rather than the population at large is called a private bill. A private bill is used for relief in matters such as immigration and naturalization and claims against the United States.

A bill originating in the House of Representatives is designated by the letters "H.R." followed by a number it retains throughout all its parliamentary stages. The letters signify "House of Representatives."

What is a Concurrent Resolution?
Matters affecting the operations of both the House and Senate are usually initiated by means of concurrent resolutions. In modern practice, concurrent resolutions normally are not legislative in character since they are not "presented" to the President for approval, but are used for expressing facts, principles, opinions, and purposes of the two Houses.

What is a Joint Resolution?
Joint resolutions may originate either in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. There is little practical difference between a bill and a joint resolution and the two forms are often used interchangeably. Both are subject to the same procedure except for a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution. When a joint resolution amending the Constitution is approved by two-thirds of both Houses, it is sent directly to the Archivist of the United States for submission to the several states where ratification by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states is necessary.

What is a Simple Resolution?
A matter concerning the rules, the operation, or the opinion of either House alone is initiated by a simple resolution, designated as "H.Res." in the House of Representatives. Simple resolutions are considered only by the body in which they were introduced. Upon adoption, simple resolutions are attested to by the Clerk of the House of Representatives and are published in the Congressional Record. 

How does a bill become a law?
A bill is proposed legislation that is introduced in the House or the Senate. After its introduction, it is assigned to the appropriate committee and subcommittee. The subcommittee reviews the bill, holds hearings to amend the bill, then recommends approval of the new version by the full committee. If the full committee concurs then the bill "reports," with any additional amendments, to the floor for debate and final vote.

The House and Senate must approve the bill in identical form before it can go to The President for signature. The President can then sign the bill, veto it, or pocket veto it. Once signed, the bill becomes a law. If the President does NOT sign or veto the bill within ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes a law.  Click here for more information.

How do members vote on the House floor?
Each member may vote "yea", "nay" or "present" by inserting a voting card into a voting station on the House floor. The lighted wall above reflects the member's intended vote.

How many committees are there in Congress?
There are twenty-three committees in the House(including "select intelligence") and twenty-three in the Senate. A full listing of committees may be found by visiting the websites for House Committees and Senate Committees.

What is the line of succession if the President should die or leave office before the end of the term?
•  Vice President
•  Speaker of the House
•  President pro tempore of the Senate
•  Secretary of State
•  Secretary of the Treasury
•  Secretary of Defense
•  Attorney General
•  Secretary of the Interior
•  followed by the secretaries of other departments

What does "H.R." stand for?
A bill originating in the House of Representatives is designated by the letters "H.R." followed by a number it retains throughout all its parliamentary stages. The letters signify "House of Representatives."

When is Inauguration Day?
Inauguration takes place on January 20 on the West Front of the Capitol. President Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789. Following that, the inaugural day was moved to March 4th. That lasted until 1937 when a Lame Duck Amendment adjusted the official day to chilly January 20th.

What are the requirements for being a representative?
•  must be at least twenty-five years old
•  must be a resident of the state they represent
•  must have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years

How many women have served in Congress?
To date, 235 women have been elected to the House of Representatives and 39 have been elected to the Senate.