How many members are there in the US Congress?
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election, though vacancies in the Senate may be filled by a gubernatorial appointment. Members are usually affiliated to the Republican Party or to the Democratic Party, and only rarely to a third-party or as independents. Congress has 535 voting members: 435 Representatives and 100 Senators.
More Info:
en.wikipedia.org
What are your thoughts on this subject?
25 Comments
Marian Spitzig
Should be term limits.
greggstaton
"Congress" refers to both houses. They've had this question before.
Lori Donnohue Carr
The house members are called Congressmen/women and the senate members are called Senators. That's why I picked 435 congressmen. Trick question but 535 is right.
William Laughlin
Roy Rimmele, Dee DenBleyker, Lori Donnohue Carr, Len Gassmann, Don Curtis Latimer,
The question is quite clear. It asks how many are in Congress. Congress is made up of two houses; the senate and the house of representatives.
If they wanted to know how many in the house, the question would have specified that.
The question is not tricky, ambiguous, or deceptive simply because you don't know the difference.
Owen Tucker
You heard it here… Elanor Holmes Norton is not a member of the US Congresss.
Myra Munds
Lori Donnohue Carr, I thought it was a bad question too.
fdeisner
Lori Donnohue Carr,
Please check your facts on a government website, not Wikipedia. You will find Congress encompasses both of the 435 Representatives and the 100 Senators.
fdeisner
Congress is a term used to include both the House of Representatives and the Senate. I didn't look this up and found on thewhitejouse.gov the following::
Established by Article I of the Constitution, the Legislative Branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress. The Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or reject many Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers.
When I went to school from the 60s to the early 1970s this was taught in civics/social studies.
Rainer Wetjen
bet you the person meany meant the House, not both House and Senate !
Larry Hughes
A good many of which should be in Leavenworth!
Mark W.
Mark W., my bad, there’s three other non voting members. Sorry
Mark W.
It’s actually 538; 100 Senators, 435 full members and three non-voting reps from US territories and Puerto Rico
Keith Bearman
A bit ambiguous. There are TWO houses. Correctly the answer is 535. The ONE House called Congress has 435 members. Combined it's 535.
Stephen Greufe
Since the vice-president is the president of the Senate, should he be counted as a member of congress?
Mary Clinton
Me too!!Lori Donnohue Carr,
John W Shreve
If you understood the question's technicality, you got it. Maybe "ENTIRE" US Congress would have been preferable.
Jaimi McEntire
Lol - tricky question, since representatives are usually called "Congressmen" as opposed to senators. You got me!