united states congress: facts and figures · 2020. 9. 3. · united states congress: facts and...
TRANSCRIPT
February 2020BRIEFING
EPRS | European Parliamentary Research ServiceAuthors: Giulio Sabbati and Matthew Parry - Graphics: Lucille Killmayer
PE 630.354 - February 2020
The Congress is the legislative branch of the US system of government and is divided into two chambers: the House of Representatives (lower chamber) and the Senate (upper chamber). The formal powers of the Congress are set out in Article 1 of the US Constitution, and include making laws, collecting revenue, borrowing and spending money, declaring war, making treaties with foreign nations, and overseeing the executive branch.
Elections to the US Congress occur in November every second year, with the Congress convening the following January. The current, 116th, Congress was elected in November 2018 and was convened in January 2019.
The US has a long-standing two-party system, which means that nearly all members of Congress belong to either the Republican or Democratic parties, while independent members (if any) generally align or sit with one of the two main parties. At the most recent simultaneous US Congressional and Presidential elections, back in November 2016, the Republicans won majorities in both houses of Congress, as well as winning the White House. However, the Democrats gained a majority in the House of Representatives at the November 2018 mid-term elections.
This EPRS Briefing is designed to provide key facts and figures about the US Congress as an institution, including relevant comparisons with the European Parliament (EP). The back page contains a map showing the location of the various Congressional buildings on Capitol Hill, home to the Congress in Washington DC.
United States Congress: Facts and Figures
Composition of the US CongressThe US Congress has 535 voting members – 435 Representatives and 100 Senators – representing about 330 million people in the 50 US states. Elected directly by the people, on the basis of individual, single-member districts, the 435 Representatives serve a two-year term. Each of the 50 states has two Senators, who sit for a six-year term. Elections are held, on a rolling basis, for one third of the 100 Senate seats every two years.
View of Capitol Hill from the west. ©Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Photograph by Carol Highsmith [LC-HS503-4764].
Democrats
280Republicans
252
House
435Senate
100
Congress overall
This is an updated version of a previous Briefing, on the 115th Congress, by Giulio Sabbati and Micaela Del Monte, published in December 2017.
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Representation by stateEach US state returns at least one Representative, with the size of delegations to the House depending on total state population. The House also has six non-voting members: a resident Puerto Rican Commissioner, and five delegates – one each for Washington DC, American Samoa, Guam, the North Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands.1
Party balance in the 116th Congress (January 2019 to January 2021)The party winning the elections in each chamber of the US Congress is identified as the ‘majority’, and their political opponents as the ‘minority’. This distinction is important, as the majority party holds the most significant leadership positions, such as Speaker of the House, and in effect also appoints all the committee chairs.
Following the November 2018 elections, the 116th Congress opened with 280 Democrats, two independent Senators who caucus with the Democrats, and 252 Republicans, distributed in the two chambers as follows: 2
Democrats (including independents)
Republicans
47
53
199
235 Democrats
Republicans
46% 54%
53% 47%
House
Senate
Total 435 seats
Total 100 seats
Note: the House seat tallies do not sum to the full 435 House seats because one seat was vacant at the opening of the 116th Congress
Size of political groups in the Congress
Compared to the preceding 115th Congress, Republicans gained one seat in the Senate and lost 42 in the House at the November 2018 elections.
114th congress
115th congress
116th congress
241
247
194
188 2014 - 2016
2017 - 2019
2019
Republicans 54
52
46
48
Democrats
199 23553 47
Size of political groups in the Congress(114th and 115th congress)
Data source: U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
WA
OR
CA
TX
OK
KS
NE
SD
ND
CO
NMAZ
UT
WY
MT
ID
NV
FL
GAALMS
TN
KY
OHIN
MI
IL
WI
LA
AR
MO
IA
MN MANH
RICT
NJDE
MDDC
ME
VT
NY
PA
WV VA
NC
SC
AK
HI
10
5
36
3
7
1
1
4
9
4
2
53
1
1
1
1
0
2
2
2
2
3
4
4
4
45
5
6
6
77
8
8
8
8
9
9
9
11
12
13
14
14
1618
18
27
27
1
3
400 km
200 mi
Number of Representa�ves per state
Democrats
280Republicans
252
House
435Senate
100
Congress overall
United States Congress: Facts and Figures
3
History of party balance in the US Congress Between the election of Donald Trump to the US Presidency in November 2016 and the mid-term elections of November 2018, the Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress, as well as the White House. However, this situation has been relatively rare since 1969 – it has only occurred in seven of the 25 two-year terms. For example, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama enjoyed a majority in both chambers of Congress only in the first two years of their eight-year terms, while Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush were never in this situation. Since the mid-term elections of November 2018, President Trump enjoys a majority only in the Senate.
* Independent + Conservative Each symbol represents an individual Member who was not from either party.
Congress Year House of Representatives Senate US President
88th 1963 John F. Kennedy/Lyndon Johnson
89th 1965 Lyndon Johnson
90th 1967 Lyndon Johnson
91st 1969 Richard Nixon
92nd 1971 Richard Nixon
93rd 1973 Richard Nixon/Gerald Ford
94th 1975 Gerald Ford
95th 1977 Jimmy Carter
96th 1979 Jimmy Carter
97th 1981 Ronald Reagan
98th 1983 Ronald Reagan
99th 1985 Ronald Reagan
100th 1987 Ronald Reagan
101th 1989 George H.W. Bush
102nd 1991 George H.W. Bush
103rd 1993 Bill Clinton
104th 1995 Bill Clinton
105th 1997 Bill Clinton
106th 1999 Bill Clinton
107th 2001 George W. Bush
108th 2003 George W. Bush
109th 2005 George W. Bush
110th 2007 George W. Bush
111th 2009 Barack Obama
112th 2011 Barack Obama
113th 2013 Barack Obama
114th 2015 Barack Obama
115th 2017 Donald Trump
116th 2019 Donald Trump
Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293
*
+
**********
*
*****
**
******
**
++
+++
Indipendent
Democrats
Republicans
Indipendent
Democrats
Republicans
Indipendent
Democrats
Republicans
House
Senate
176
140
187
192
180
192
144
143
157
192
166
181
177
175
167
176
230
226
223
220
229
233
202
178
242
234
247
241
199
House
SenateHouse
Senate
Acronyms for US statesAlabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), District of Columbia (DC), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), North Dakota (ND), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA), Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV), Wisconsin (WI) and Wyoming (WY).
258
295
248
243
255
243
291
292
278
243
269
254
258
260
267
258
204
207
211
213
205
201
233
257
193
201
188
194
235
Indipendent
Democrats
Republicans
Indipendent
Democrats
Republicans
Indipendent
Democrats
Republicans
House
Senate
34
32
36
43
44
42
37
38
41
53
55
47
45
45
44
43
52
55
55
50
51
55
49
41
47
45
54
52
53
66
68
64
57
54
56
61
61
58
46
45
53
55
55
56
57
48
45
45
50
48
44
49
57
51
53
44
46
45 **
Source: House of Representatives, Senate and The White House.
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Elections to the US Congress
Mid-term elections – Seats lost or won by the President’s partyMid-term elections to Congress often have a different political dynamic and a lower turnout to those held in presidential election years, with the party of the President usually losing seats, sometimes in considerable numbers.
The chart on the right shows the outcome of all mid-term elections to the US Congress since 1962.
Data source: House of Representatives and Senate.
Trends in turnout in US Congressional and EP elections3 Since 1979 (the year of the first EP direct elections), voter participation has generally fallen over time in both the US and EU, though the most recent US Congressional mid-term elections, in November 2018, and the most recent European Parliament elections, in May 2019, were both significant exceptions. The overall trend is consistent with a decline in participation in national elections in most G20 democracies since 1945, from a post-war average of around 80 percent, to a figure of around 60 percent today.
In general, on both sides of the Atlantic, elections in which voters simultaneously decide who runs the executive branch of government, as well as who controls the legislature, attract a higher turnout. The US mid-term elections, like European Parliament elections, generally see turnout which is 15 to 20 percentage points lower than in US presidential elections or in national elections in Europe, in both of which control of the executive is being determined.
US Congress (Presidential election years)
US Congress (mid-terms)European Parliament
Parliamentary elections in EU Member States
201920142009200419991994198919841979
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Data source: IDEA.For reference, turnout in both EP and national parliamentary elections is calculated as the total number of votes as a percentage of the total number of registered voters. All national elections taking place in the same year are totalled to generate an annual EU-wide percentage.
∆ Change in overall control
Seats lost and won during mid-term elections
Year President House Senate
1962 John F. Kennedy -4 3
1966 Lyndon Johnson -47 -4
1970 Richard Nixon -12 2
1974 Gerald Ford (Nixon) -48 -5
1978 Jimmy Carter -15 -3
1982 Ronald Reagan -26 1
1986 Ronald Reagan -5 -8 ∆1990 George H. W. Bush -8 -1
1994 Bill Clinton -52 ∆ -8 ∆1998 Bill Clinton 5 0
2002 George W. Bush 8 2
2006 George W. Bush -30 ∆ -6 ∆2010 Barack Obama -63 ∆ -6
2014 Barack Obama -13 -9 ∆2018 Donald Trump -42 ∆ 1
House
SenateHouse
Senate
Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293
Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293
Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293
Democrats
242Republicans
293
Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293
Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293
Democrats
242Republicans
293Democrats
242Republicans
293
Democrats
242Republicans
293
United States Congress: Facts and Figures
5
Voting methods for Congress To boost turnout in US elections, many states have introduced alternative or convenience systems for casting votes. Overall three methods are used:
• 39 states and the District of Columbia allow early voting in person during a designated period before Election Day, without the voter needing to provide any justification for voting early.
• All states mail absentee ballot papers to voters at their request (justification is required in 20 states).
• Postal ballot papers are automatically mailed to voters eligible for mail voting. (Five states use such voting for all their elections: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington).
House leadershipThe Speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House of Representatives. Elected by the House every two years, at the beginning of each new Congress, the Speaker is the only House leadership position mentioned in the US Constitution (Article 1). The Speaker for the 116th Congress is Representative Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, CA). The House Democratic Caucus and the House Republican Conference play roles analogous to political groups in the European Parliament.
For the 116th Congress, the House leadership positions include, for the majority Democrats and for the minority Republicans, the following individuals:
Majority Democrats Minority Republicans
Speaker: Nancy Pelosi (CA) Republican Leader: Kevin McCarthy (CA)
Majority Leader: Steny Hoyer (MD) Republican Whip: Steve Scalise (LA)
Democratic Caucus Chair: Hakeem Jeffries (NY) Republican Conference Chair: Liz Cheney (WY)
Majority Whip: James Clyburn (SC) Republican Policy Committee Chair: Gary Palmer (AL)
Assistant Speaker: Ben Ray Luján (NM)
Source: House Leadership.
WA
OR
CA
TX
OK
KS
NE
SD
ND
CO
NMAZ
UT
WY
MT
ID
NV
FL
GAALMS
TN
KY
OHIN
MI
IL
WI
LA
AR
MO
IA
MNMA
NH
RICT
NJDEMD
DC
ME
VT
NY
PA
WV VA
NC
SC
AK
HI
400 km
200 mi
All-mail voting Early voting and no-excuse absentee voting No early voting: excuse required for absentee
Early voting: excuse required for absentee voting No early voting but no-excuse absentee voting
Voting method in Congressional elections
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Absentee and Early Voting.
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Senate leadershipIn the Senate, there are two constitutionally mandated officers: the Vice-President of the United States, who serves as the President of the Senate (currently Mike Pence), and the President pro tempore, who presides over the Senate in the Vice-President’s absence, currently Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA). The other Senate leadership positions include the following individuals:
Majority Republicans Minority Democrats
Republican Leader: Mitch McConnell (KY) Democratic Leader and Chair of the Conference: Charles Schumer (NY)
Republican Conference Chair: John Barrasso (WY) Assistant Democratic Leader: Patty Murray (WA)
Republican Majority Whip: John Thune (SD) Democratic Whip: Richard Durbin (IL)
Republican Policy Committee Chair: Roy Blunt (MO) Chair of Policy and
Communications Committee: Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Source: Senate Leadership.
Congressional Committees Much of the legislative and oversight work of the US Congress is undertaken in the committees of each house. There are 20 committees in the House of Representatives and 17 in the Senate, together with four joint committees between the two chambers. Their names, chairs, ranking members and total numbers of members are set out below. Most committees have several sub-committees: there are a total of 98 sub-committees in the House and 56 in the Senate.
Composition of House CommitteesName of Committee Chair (D) Ranking Member (R) Number of Representatives
Armed Services Adam Smith (WA) Mac Thornberry (TX)
Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (OR) Sam Graves (MO)
Financial Services Maxine Waters (CA) Patrick McHenry (NC)
Energy and Commerce Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ) Greg Walden (OR)
Appropriations Nita Lowey (NY) Kay Granger (TX)
Foreign Affairs Eliot Engel (NY) Michael McCaul (TX)
Agriculture Collin Peterson (MN) K. Michael Conaway (TX)
Natural Resources Raúl Grijalva (AZ) Rob Bishop (UT)
Oversight and Reform Carolyn Maloney (NY) Jim Jordan (OH)
Judiciary Jerrold Nadler (NY) Doug Collins (GA)
Education and Labor Robert Scott (VA) Virginia Foxx (NC)
Ways and Means Richard Neal (MA) Kevin Brady (TX)
Science, Space and Technology Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX) Frank Lucas (OK)
Budget John Yarmuth (KY) Steve Womack (AR)
Homeland Security Bennie G. Thompson (MS) Mike Rogers (AL)
Small Business Nydia M. Velázquez (NY) Steve Chabot (OH)
Veterans' Affairs Mark Takano (CA) David P. Roe (TN)
Rules James McGovern (MA) Tom Cole (OK)
Ethics Theodore Deutch (FL) Kenny Marchant (TX)
House Administration Zoe Lofgren (CA) Rodney Davis (IL)
Repubblicans
Democrats
Democrats
Repubblicans
Democrats
Repubblicans
House Senate Joint Committees
31
37
34
31
30
26
26
26
24
24
28
25
22
22
18
14
16
9
5
6
26
30
26
24
23
21
21
19
18
17
22
17
17
14
13
10
12
4
5
3
57
67
60
55
53
47
47
45
42
41
50
42
39
36
31
24
28
13
10
9
House
Senate
United States Congress: Facts and Figures
7
Composition of Senate CommitteesName of Committee Chair (R) Ranking Member (D) Number of Senators
Appropriations Richard Shelby (AL) Patrick Leahy (VT)
Armed Services James Inhofe (OK) Jack Reed (RI)
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Roger Wicker (MS) Maria Cantwell (WA)
Finance Chuck Grassley (IA) Ron Wyden (OR)
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Mike Crapo (ID) Sherrod Brown (OH)
Budget Michael Enzi (WY) Bernard Sanders (VT)
Energy and Natural Resources Lisa Murkowski (AK) Joe Manchin (WV)
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Lamar Alexander (TN) Patty Murray (WA)
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Pat Roberts (KS) Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Environment and Public Works John Barrasso (WY) Thomas Carper (DE)
Foreign Relations James Risch (ID) Robert Menendez (NJ)
Judiciary Lindsey Graham (SC) Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Rules and Administration Roy Blunt (MO) Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Marco Rubio (FL) Benjamin Cardin (MD)
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Ron Johnson (WI) Gary Peters (MI)
Veterans' Affairs Johnny Isakson (GA) Jon Tester (MT)
Indian Affairs John Hoeven (ND) Tom Udall (NM)
Repubblicans
Democrats
Democrats
Repubblicans
Democrats
Repubblicans
House Senate Joint Committees
16
14
14
15
13
11
11
12
11
11
12
12
10
10
8
9
7
31
27
26
28
25
21
20
23
20
21
22
22
19
19
14
17
13
15
13
12
13
12
10
9
11
9
10
10
10
9
9
6
8
6
House
Senate
Composition of Joint Committees Joint Committee Chair (R) Vice Chair (R)
Economic Sen. Mike Lee (UT) Sen. Martin Heinrich (NM)
Library Sen. Roy Blunt (MO) Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Printing Sen. Roy Blunt (MO) (Vice-Chair) Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Taxation Sen. Chuck Grassley (IA) (Vice-Chair) Sen. Ron Wyden (OR)
Repubblicans
Democrats
Democrats
Repubblicans
Democrats
Repubblicans
House Senate Joint Committees
6
3
3
3
10
5
5
5
4
2
2
2
Source: House of Representatives and Senate.
Profile of Members of the 116th Congress
New Members of Congress Newly elected members of Congress are often referred to as ‘freshmen’. There are a total of 96 first-term members in the 116th Congress.
Age of membersNew Members
16.2 %
23.6 %
4.4 %
13.2 %
Democrats
Republicans
Republicans
Democrats
83.8 %
76.4 %
95.6 %
86.8 %
Re-elected Members
55
32
7
2
House
Senate
Age of members
Re-elected MembersNew Members
20.2 % 79.8 %
9.2 % 90.8 %
87
9
House
Senate
New members of the Congress
Source: House of Representatives and Senate.
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Women in the US Congress A total of 126 women voting members were elected to the 116th Congress: 101 to the House (88 Democrats and 13 Republicans) and 25 to the Senate (17 Democrats and 8 Republicans). Four non-voting members in the House (three Delegates; one Resident Commissioner) are also women.4
Democrats
Republicans 8.3 %
37.5 %
Democrats
Republicans 8.3 % (21/252)
37.5 %(105/280)
House Senateand
Women in Congress
Source: House of Representatives.
Women in the US Congress and European ParliamentThe proportion of female members of the US Congress and of the European Parliament have both increased over time, with the former consistently having fewer women than the latter. Congress counted only 3 % female members in 1979, although the proportion has risen to 23.6 % this term. The proportion of women in the European Parliament at the start of each parliamentary term has also shown steady growth, from 16.6 % in 1979, to 40.6 % in the current (2019-2024) term.
US Congress
European Parliament
40.6 %
16.6%
3.0%
23.6 %
201920142009200419991994198919841979
10 %
20 %
30 %
40 %
0 %
50 %
Women in the Congress and EP
Source: Women in Congress, Historical data, US House of Representatives.
United States Congress: Facts and Figures
9
Age of Members of CongressThe US Constitution states that, to serve in office, a Representative must be at least 25 years old and a Senator at least 30 years old. At the beginning of the 116th Congress, the average age of members in the House was 58 years, and in the Senate, 63 years.
29 85
39 85
Age of members MaximumMinimum Average
58
63
Age
Age
House
Senate
Age of members of the Congress
Source: Membership of the 116th Congress: a Profile, CRS, 4 November 2019.
Ethnic origin of Members of CongressThe 116th Congress is the most diverse in history, with a record presence of members of African American, Hispanic/Latino and Asian origin. The 116th Congress is the fifth Congress in a row that is more diverse than its immediate predecessor. However, the percentage of non-white members voting (around 22 %) is below the 39 % share of the US population.5 The House is significantly more diverse than the Senate.
Age of membersAfrican
AmericansWhiteAmericans
75 % 10 %
89 %
Hispanic and Latino Americans
AsianAmericans: 3 %
12 %
AfricanAmericans: 3 %
WhiteAmericans
Hispanic and Latino Americans: 5 %
AsianAmericans: 3 %
House
Senate
Ethnical origin of the Congress
Note: Asian Americans include members of Pacific Islander descent.Sources: Pew Research, February 2019.
Religious affiliation of Members of CongressJust over 88 % of Members of Congress consider themselves to be Christians, of whom almost 55 % are Protestant (mostly Baptist and Methodist). Judaism, Mormonism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam are also represented in Congress. While only 0.2 % of Congressional members have no religious affiliation, 23 % of the US population do not identify with a specific faith.
Protestant: 60 %
Catholic: 22 % Jewish: 8 %Mormon: 4 % Others: 6 %
Orthodox Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and una�liated
House Senate
Protestant: 54 %
Catholic: 32 % Jewish: 6 %Mormon: 1 % Others: 6 %
Orthodox Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and una�liated
Religious of members of the Congress
Source: Pew Research, January 2019.
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The work of the 115th Congress (January 2017 to January 2019)The work of members of Congress is structured around two types of day: work on Capitol Hill, when Congress is in session, and ‘district days’ in their constituencies. Each member of Congress may introduce bills and resolutions.6 Between 1973 and 2016, each member introduced an average of 20 proposals per Congress. In total, 13 556 proposed measures (bills, various types of resolution) were introduced in the 115th Congress (2017-2019), but only 3 % of them were enacted.7
House
SenateLaws
Enacted
443
Bills vetoed
0
Billsintroduced
13 556Days
366
Days386
12
9
6
3
Hours1 516
12
9
6
3
Hours2 182
Activites in the Congress
Source: Résumé of Congressional Activity of the 115th Congress.
Staff levels in the US Congress ‘Staffers’ working on committees, in members' personal offices and in other Congressional roles help the 435 Representatives and 100 Senators in their daily work. In 2016, there were 9 420 staff working in the House of Representatives and 5 749 staff in the Senate. Over time, the proportion of committee staff appears to have decreased and personal staff increased (including in districts/states), notably in the Senate.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
CommissionsO�cers and o�cialsLeadership
CommitteesHouse Members’ o�ces
20162010200419981992198619800
2
4
6
8
10
12
O�cers and o�cialsLeadership
CommitteesSenators' o�ces
2016201020041998199219861980
In 1
00
0
In 1
00
0
House Senate
Source: CRS Report on Senate and House of Representatives Staff Levels in Member, Committee, Leadership, and Other Offices, 1977-2016, 13 September 2016.
United States Congress: Facts and Figures
11
Cost of the House of RepresentativesFunding for the House of Representatives in fiscal year (FY) 2019 amounted to €1 073 million (US$1 233 million). Almost half this figure was devoted to the Members' Representational Allowance (MRA), supporting Representatives in their official and representational duties (including the cost of staff, mail, travel, office equipment and district office rental).
Age of members
Intern allowance
House Leadership o�ces
Committee employees
Salaries, o�cers, and employees
Other allowances and expenses
Members’ Representational Allowance 499
221
192
131
22
€ million
Total House of Representatives' appropriations: € 1 073 million8
Lorem ipsum
House of representatives appropriations
Source: CRS Report on Legislative Branch: FY2019 Appropriations, 13 November 2018.
US Congressional agencies A number of specialised bodies support the detailed work of members of Congress – notably the Congressional Research Service (CRS), which provides independent, non-partisan policy and legal analysis to members individually and collectively; the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which provides comparable analysis of budgetary and macro-economic issues; and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which investigates and reports to Congress on how US taxpayers' money is spent by the federal government and assists Congressional committees with oversight of the executive. In total, these three Congressional agencies have more than 4 000 staff and spend around €700 million (FY 2019).
Financial resources Staff
(full-time equivalent posts)€ million US$ million
CRS 110 126 621
CBO 44 51 258
GAO 553 636 3 150
Total 707 813 4 029
Source: CRS Report on Legislative Branch: FY2019 Appropriations, Library of Congress budget justification for FY 2020; CBO appropriation request for FY 20120; Budget requests for GAO for FY 2020 (exchange rate €1 = US$1.1493).
MAIN REFERENCESCongressional Profile, Office of the Clerk, US House of Representatives, 20 December 2019. Résumé of Congressional Activity, First and Second Sessions of 115th Congress, Congressional Record, Daily Digest.
Endnotes1 By law, Delegates’ term of service is also two years, and the Resident Commissioner serves for four years.2 Tallies as at the opening of the 116th Congress in January 2019. In the Senate, two Independents caucus with Democrats.
Following the resignations of four Representatives and the death of a fifth, five seats are vacant in the House and three further vacancies have already been filled, as of January 2020.
3 Since 1972, US citizens (both native and naturalised) must be at least 18 years old to vote. Every state except North Dakota requires eligible voters to formally register to exercise their right to vote.
4 To date, only one state, Vermont, has never returned a woman to the House or the Senate. Mississippi returned a woman for the first time in 2018, when Cindy Hyde-Smith was elected to the US Senate.
5 The 116th Congress includes 24 Representatives and five Senators born abroad. Nine Representatives were born in Europe.6 Bill, resolution, concurrent resolution, and simple resolution. ‘Companion’ bill is used to describe a bill, introduced in one
House of Congress, similar or identical to a bill introduced in the other.7 The House and Senate must pass exactly the same version of any bill before it becomes law. Once both House and Senate agree,
the bill is either signed or vetoed by the US President.
EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service
12
Congressional buildings on Capitol Hill, Washington DC
Union Station
Constitution AvenuePennsylvania Avenue
Maryland Avenue
Independence Avenue
Louisiana Avenue
Del
awar
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Seco
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Third
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US Supreme Court
Adams
Longworth
Rayburn Cannon
O’Neill
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US Capitol
US Botanic Garden
Russell
National Mall
White House
Madison
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White House
Capitol HillWashington, DC
House of Representatives
Library of Congress
Senate
Railway station
Metro station
O�ce buildings for
Washington: Capitol Hill
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