- The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, and an upper body, the United States Senate. It meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives are chosen through direct election, though vacancies in the Senate may be filled by a governor’s appointment. Congress has 535 voting members: 100 senators and 435 representatives. The U.S. vice president, as President of the Senate, has a vote in the Senate only when casting a tie-breaking vote. The House of Representatives has six non-voting members.