The Role of the Senate and the House of Representatives The United States Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives, which means that the United States is bi-promissory. The United States Congress was created by Article I, Section 1, of the Constitution, adopted by the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787. The Senate consists of 100 members, 2 from each state, elected to serve 6-year terms. . Senators were originally chosen by state legislatures. This procedure was changed 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 of representatives of each State is determined by the population, but each State is entitled to at least one Representative. For example, Alaska only has 1 representative while California has the most in the United States. Members are elected by the people for a two-year term and all terms last the same period. Both 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 have been a citizen of the United States for at least 9 years; a representative must be at least 25 years of age and must have been a citizen for at least 7 years. Under the Constitution, the Senate is granted certain powers that the House of Representatives does not have. The Senate approves or disapproves some presidential nominations by majority vote, for example there have been a huge number of filings in the Senate and 19 in the House of Representatives. Additionally, there are select committees in each House and various congressional committees and joint committees composed of members from both Houses. Each Chamber can also appoint specific commissions of inquiry. The composition of the permanent commissions of each Chamber is chosen by vote of the entire body; the members of the other commissions are appointed based on the provisions of the provision that establishes them. Each bill and resolution is usually referred to the appropriate committee, which may return a bill to its original form, favorably or unfavorably, recommend amendments, or allow the proposed legislation to die in committee. without action. Together, the House of Representatives and the Senate play very important roles combined and in separate chambers.