The role of the Senate and the House of Representatives The United States Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, which means that the United States are bi-cambial. The United States Congress was established by Article I, Section 1, of the Constitution, adopted by the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787. The Senate is composed of 100 members, 2 from each state, elected to serve terms of 6 years. . Senators were originally chosen by state legislatures. This procedure was modified by the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, adopted in 1913, which made the election of senators a function of the people. There are three classes of senators and a new class is elected every 2 years. The House of Representatives includes 435 representatives. The number representing each state is determined by population, but each state is allowed at least one representative. For example, Alaska has only one representative, while California has the most in the United States. Members are elected by the people for a term of 2 years, with all terms running for the same period. Senators and Representatives must be residents of the state from which they are chosen. Additionally, a senator must be at least 30 years old and must have been a citizen of the United States for at least 9 years; a representative must be at least 25 years old and have been a citizen for at least 7 years. Under the Constitution, the Senate has certain powers that the House of Representatives does not possess. The Senate approves or disapproves certain presidential appointments by a majority of votes, for example there has been a huge po...... middle of paper ...... in the Senate and 19 in the House of Representatives. In addition, there are special committees in each house and various congressional committees and joint committees composed of members of both houses. Each Chamber can also appoint special commissions of inquiry. The composition of the standing committees of each House is chosen by a vote of the entire body; the members of the other commissions are appointed under the provisions of the measure which creates them. Each bill and resolution is generally referred to the appropriate committee, which can report a bill in its original form favorably or unfavorably, recommend amendments, or let the bill die in committee. without action. Together, the House of Representatives and the Senate play very important roles combined and in their separate chambers.