A. Introduction 国会简介

Congress of the United States, legislative branch of the United States government. Congress is composed of two chambers with equal powers: the 100-member Senate and the 435-member House of Representatives. The primary duty of Congress is to write, debate, and pass bills(proposed laws), which are then passed on to the president for approval. Once the president approves the legislation, the executive branch enforces the new laws and the judicial branch interprets them. Other congressional duties include investigating pressing national issues, supervising the executive and judicial branches, and shaping U.S. foreign policy.

美国国会是美国的立法机构。美国国会有两个平级机构组成：100人的参议院和435人的众议院。国会的主要职责是起草、讨论和通过议案（建议法案），其将为总统签字生效。一旦总统签署通过，行政机构就会执行法律，司法机构解释法律。国会的其他职责包括审查国家议案，监督行政和司法机构及塑造美国的外交政策。

B.Membership 国会成员

 The house and the Senate have similar membership requirements, The Senate includes two senators from each of the 50 states, elected for six-year terms. To be a senator, a person must be at least 30 years old, a citizen for nine years, and a resident of the state from which he or she is elected. Most members of Congress have served in state legislatures, city councils, or other elected bodies.

 The 435 house seats are divided among the states in proportion to each state’s population. Every state is guaranteed at least one seat. States entitled to more than a single seat must create districts of roughly equal population from which members are elected. The United States Bureau of the Census counts the population states every ten years to determine how many seats each states is entitled to. Representatives, elected for two-year terms,, must be 25 years old, a citizen for at least seven years, and a resident of the state from which they are elected.

 众议院和参议院拥有相似的成员要求。参议院要求美国50州各选出2名议员，任期6年。参选参议院要求至少30岁，具有九年的国民资格，并且是所在州的居民。大多数的国会议员服务于州司法体系、市议会或其他的选举机构。

  众议院的435个席位是按照各州人口的比例分配的。确保每个州拥有至少一席。每州必须严格按照人口划定的选区选举议员。美国人口统计机构每十年根据人口数确定各州议席数。众议院每两年选举一次，参选人至少年满25岁，拥有7年的国民资格，且居住在所参选州。