United States Senate
United States Senate | |
|---|---|
| 119th United States Congress | |
 | |
 Flag of the U.S. Senate | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
New session started | January 3, 2025 |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 100 51 (or 50 plus the president of the Senate) for a majority |
 | |
Political groups | Majority (53)
Minority (47)
|
Length of term | 6 years |
| Elections | |
| Plurality voting in 46 states[b] Varies in 4 states
| |
Last election | November 5, 2024 (34 seats) |
Next election | November 3, 2026 (34 seats) |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, D.C. United States | |
| Website | |
| senate.gov | |
| Constitution | |
| United States Constitution | |
The United States Senate is the upper house of the United States Congress, which is a group of elected people who decide the laws of the country.[2] Every U.S. state elects two people to represent them in the U.S. Senate.[3] These people are called senators. Since there are 50 states, there are 100 senators.[3] Senators serve six years at a time, and one-third of them are picked every two years.[3] Originally the legislature of each state decided who their senators would be. After 1913 and a Constitutional amendment, the people of the state chose their senators by vote. The Vice President of the United States is in charge of the Senate, but does little except when there is a tie vote or a special event.
To be a senator, a person has to be 30 years old or older, and has to be a