United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the US Congress. It has 100 members, two from each of the 50 states, and each senator serves a six-year term. About one third of the seats are up for election every two years. The Senate meets in the Senate Chamber in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

The Vice President of the United States presides over the Senate and votes only to break a tie. The President pro tempore presides in the Vice President’s absence. The Senate confirms presidential appointments such as Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, Supreme Court justices and ambassadors. It approves treaties by a two-thirds vote of the senators present and tries officials impeached by the House of Representatives. Ending a filibuster normally needs three fifths of the Senate, which is 60 votes.

The Senate is in the news over government funding. On 12 November 2026 four senators, Michael Bennet, Bernie Sanders, Chris Van Hollen and Tammy Duckworth, said they will oppose any short-term spending bill that keeps paying for the war on Iran, Truthout reported. Government funding expires on 11 December 2026.

Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata, Truthout.