United States Senate

E886

The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the U.S. Congress, composed of two senators from each state who share responsibility for making federal laws, confirming key executive and judicial appointments, and ratifying treaties.

All labels observed (16)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (57)

Predicate Object
instanceOf chamber of the United States Congress
upper house of bicameral legislature
clotureThreshold three-fifths of Senators duly chosen and sworn (typically 60)
confirms Cabinet-level appointments
Supreme Court justices
ambassadors
federal judges
contrastedWith United States House of Representatives representation by population
country United States of America
createdBy Article I of the United States Constitution
surface form: Constitution of the United States, Article I
dateEstablished 1789
establishedBy United States Constitution
hasCheckAndBalanceFunction check on executive branch
check on judicial branch
hasCitizenshipRequirement at least 9 years U.S. citizenship
hasCommitteeSystem joint committees
select committees
standing committees
hasElectionCycle staggered
hasElectionFraction approximately one-third of seats every two years
hasLegislativePower power to approve or reject legislation
power to propose amendments to bills
power to propose constitutional amendments
hasMembersFrom U.S. states
hasMembersPerState 2
hasMinimumAgeRequirement 30 years
hasMotto E pluribus unum (shared national motto)
hasNumberOfMembers 100
hasOfficerTitle Senate Majority Leader
surface form: Majority Leader

Majority Whip
Senate Minority Leader
surface form: Minority Leader

Minority Whip
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
surface form: President pro tempore
hasOfficialLanguage English
surface form: English (de facto)
hasPresidingOfficer Vice President of the United States
hasPresidingOfficerTitle President of the United States Senate
surface form: President of the Senate
hasPrimaryFunction advice and consent on presidential appointments
lawmaking
ratification of treaties
trial of impeachments
hasResidencyRequirement inhabitant of the represented state at time of election
hasRule filibuster tradition
hasTermLength 6 years
hasVotingSystem popular vote within each state
impeachmentConvictionThreshold two-thirds of members present
impeachmentRole conducts trials after impeachment by the House of Representatives
legislativeProcessRequires passage of bills by both houses of Congress
locatedIn Washington, D.C.
meetsIn United States Capitol
originalSelectionMethod election by state legislatures
partOf United States Congress
publishesRecord Congressional Record
ratifies treaties negotiated by the President of the United States
represents states as political units
selectionMethodChangedBy Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
sharesLegislativePowerWith United States House of Representatives
treatyRatificationThreshold two-thirds of Senators present

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1,769)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Joint Committee on Printing hasChamber United States Senate
Treaty of Mortefontaine ratifiedBy United States Senate
1951 State of the Union Address givenTo United States Senate
Connie Mack III memberOf United States Senate
Harry memberOf United States Senate
subject surface form: Harry F. Byrd Sr.
Harry representedIn United States Senate
subject surface form: Harry F. Byrd Sr.
Russell Billiu Long chamber United States Senate
John Stevens (politician) memberOf United States Senate
John H. Bankhead memberOf United States Senate
John Breaux (as U.S. senator from Louisiana) legislativeBody United States Senate
subject surface form: John Breaux
John Breaux (as U.S. senator from Louisiana) chamber United States Senate
subject surface form: John Breaux
this entity surface form: U.S. Senate
John Breaux (as U.S. senator from Louisiana) servedInCongress United States Senate
subject surface form: John Breaux
this entity surface form: U.S. Senate
William Francis Hagerty IV employer United States Senate
Robert Taft Jr. representedIn United States Senate
Robert Taft Jr. legislativeBody United States Senate
H.J.Res.114 chamber United States Senate
Jessie Breyman memberOf United States Senate
subject surface form: Charles L. McNary
Under Secretaries of Transportation confirmedBy United States Senate
John Tower employer United States Senate
Public Law 107-243 otherChamber United States Senate
S.J.Res.45 introducedIn United States Senate
Public Law 114-23 legislativeChamber United States Senate
Rick Scott (attended Crummer Graduate School of Business) memberOf United States Senate
subject surface form: Rick Scott
James G. Blaine memberOf United States Senate
Revenue Act of 1918 chamber United States Senate
Tail-Gunner Joe associatedWithInstitution United States Senate
United States farm bill chamberInvolved United States Senate
Senate office buildings usedBy United States Senate
Public Law 107-40 chamberInvolved United States Senate
George McGovern memberOf United States Senate
Mary workedIn United States Senate
subject surface form: Mary Jo Kopechne
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ratifiedBy United States Senate
1974 State of the Union Address deliveredTo United States Senate
this entity surface form: Senate of the United States
James Pinckney Henderson representedIn United States Senate
Kenneth McKellar legislativeBody United States Senate
Deb Fischer (as U.S. Senator from Nebraska) legislativeBody United States Senate
subject surface form: Deb Fischer
Pub.L. 89–329 chamberInvolved United States Senate
42nd United States Congress chamber United States Senate
Hatfield legislativeBody United States Senate
subject surface form: Mark O. Hatfield
Eastland legislativeBody United States Senate
subject surface form: James Eastland
Eastland hasNotableAssociation United States Senate