Congress of the United States

A Congressional Conference Committee is composed of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and it is charged with resolving disagreements on a specific piece of legislation.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry -- better known as the Senate Ag Committee -- provides legislative oversight over issues relating to nation's agricultural industry, farming programs, forestry and logging. In addition, this committee -- as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- is responsible for some issues relating to nutrition and health.

In order to manage the thousands of bills introduced into Congress each legislative session, the Congress relies upon a complex committee structure. There are three types of Senate committees: standing committees, special or select committees, and joint committees. The Senate currently operates 24 fact-finding and policy-recommending committees.

Committees are integral to the functioning of the Congress. How do Senate committees work to bring legislation forward?

The One Hundred Eleventh (111th) U.S. Congress -- the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives -- meets from 6 January 2009, to 3 January 2011.

Profiles of leaders of the US House Representatives in the 110th Congress (2007-2008).

What happens when a Senator dies in office or resigns? How is the replacement handled?

The 110th Congress was controlled by the Democratic Party. Learn which Senators and Representatives served on powerful committees providing oversight of the nation's finance, banking and housing markets.

The 108th Congress was controlled by the Republican Party. Learn which Senators and Representatives served on powerful committees providing oversight of the nation's finance, banking and housing markets.

Most political action committees (PACs) represent "special interests": business, labor or issue/ideology. But a growing number are run by US Senators and Representatives. Should they be?

Statistics on Cloture Motions in various Congresses

Check this site for a directory of Democratic Senators or specific information on jobs/outsourcing, education and health care.

In addition to the expected information about issues and a directory of House Democrats, the site provides background information on every state in the country: capitol, population, date admitted to the union, and news related to current issues.

Use this site to find Democratic Representatives or the current Democratic House policy agenda. This service-oriented organization for House Democrats first met in 1796.

Established by Congress in 1946, the Policy Committee "serve(s) as a formal council to meet regularly with the Executive, to facilitate the formulation and carrying out of national policy, and to improve relationships between the executive and legislative branches of the Government."

This web site provides access to Republican members of the House as well as Republican positions on a select list of issues. "Committee Central" provides an overview of upcoming and past legislative actions.

Use this Library of Congress search tool to obtain information about any current or past legislation : bill history, text, amendments, sponsors. Easy to use if somewhat obscurely named (it's named for Thomas Jefferson) relative to its function.

From "act" to "yield time" -- this page introduces you to the terminology of Senate law and procedure.

The formal organization of the Senate Republicans, it provides a full range of communications services including graphics, radio, television, and internet. Check here for information on the Republican agenda, which includes defense, education, energy, jobs/economy and faith/community.

Like its Democractic counterpart, this Committee was established by law in 1946. The site contains policy papers (all PDF) as well as an application form for those interested in working in the Senate.

Established in 1947 by an Act of Congress, the DPC is the research arm of Senate Democrats. Find DPC Reports on issues and proposed legislation.

Overview of responsibility and membership of the US Senate Committee On Intelligence.

Overview of Senate procedural Rule 22, filibuster and cloture .

Overview of Senate procedural Rule 22, filibuster and cloture.

Overview of Senate procedural Rule 22, filibuster and cloture.

Profiles of past and current members of the US House Representatives. There are 435 seats in the House; members are re-elected every two years and represent a district in their state, each with a population of approximately 646,952, per the 2000 US Census. All districts are

Description and history of the United States Senate and the powers granted the Senate by the Constitution. The Senate and the House of Representatives jointly create the United States Congress.

Profiles of past and current members of the US Senate. There are 100 seats in the Senate; one-third of the membership is elected every six years. Each state has two Senators.

The US Select Committee on Intelligence (Intelligence Committee) was created by to Senate Resolution 400, 94th Congress.

History of the House and Senate Select Committees on Intelligence, established in 1976 and 1977. Reviews subsequent developments and tension between the legislative and executive branches of government.

The US Committee On The Judiciary (Judiciary Committee) is one of the original standing committees of the Senate; it was authorized on 10 December 1816. Three days later, Senator Dudley Chase of Vermont became the first Chairman.

The US Committee On The Judiciary (Judiciary Committee) is one of the original standing committees of the Senate; it was authorized on 10 December 1816. Three days later, Senator Dudley Chase of Vermont became the first Chairman.

The House of Representatives may hold closed or secret sessions to discuss business confidentially. Since the War of 1812, the House has held six such session.

This is a brief description of the U.S. President Pro Tempore