Congress

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National legislature of the USA, consisting of the House of Representatives (435 members, apportioned to the states of the Union on the basis of population, and elected for two-year terms) and the Senate (100 senators, two for each state, elected for six years, one-third elected every two years). Both representatives and senators are elected by direct popular vote. Congress meets in Washington DC, in the Capitol Building. An act of Congress is a bill passed by both houses.

The Congress of the United States met for the first time on 4 March 1789. It was preceded by the Congress of the Confederation representing the several states under the Articles of Confederation from 1781 to 1789.

.BTXT:

In 19th-century history, the term ‘congress’ referred to a formal meeting or assembly, usually for peace, where delegates assembled to discuss or settle a matter of international concern, such as the Congress of Vienna of 1815, which divided up Napoleon's empire after the Napoleonic Wars; and the Congress of Paris of 1856, which settled some of the problems resulting from the Crimean War.

Blue stands for faith and loyalty, the sea, lakes, and the sky. Black represents past suffering and is the colour of the traditional peasant's jacket. White symbolizes virtue and enlightenment and is the colour of snow, birch bark, and the midnight sun. Effective date: 16 November 1990. >>