The Basics

The U.S. Senate is one of the two groups of elected officials in the U.S. Congress, also called the legislative branch. This is the branch of the federal government that passes laws and decides the federal government’s budget every year. The Senate is often called the ‘upper chamber’ of Congress. There are 100 senators in the U.S. Senate, two for every state – so unlike in the House of Representatives, population doesn’t matter. Senators serve six-year terms, which are staggered so that a state’s two senators are not up for election at the same time.

Your senators represent your entire state, and play a critical role in decisions that can impact the entire country. As a resident of your state, you have the right to call your senators and express your opinions on any issue they might be voting on! You can also express your opinion on issues that are happening in your state that you think the senator should be paying more attention to. 

Some of a senator’s most important responsibilities are: 

• Voting to confirm or reject the president’s nominees for federal judgeships (including Supreme Court justices), Cabinet positions, ambassadors, and other important executive branch positions
• Drafting, introducing, debating, and voting on proposed federal laws (except for bills focused on taxes – those have to start in the House), including ‘appropriations’ bills, which decide how much money the federal government will spend on all its various programs, including the military, Social Security, Medicare, and more
• Voting on treaties, which are agreements between the U.S. and other countries
• Voting on whether to declare war on another country or authorize military actions
• If an impeachment trial is held, senators act as the “jury” and vote on whether to remove the official from office
• Serving on Senate committees
  Many committees are focused on specific policy issues. One particularly important Senate committee is the Judiciary Committee, which vets the president’s nominees for federal judgeships

You can also get in touch with your senator if you need help with a federal program or agency, but because senators represent your entire state, you’ll probably get help faster if you reach out to your U.S. representative.

Term Limits

None

Eligibility

To run for U.S. Senate, you must be at least 30 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and live in the state you want to represent

Sources: the U.S. Constitution; U.S. Congress full committee list

How can I make my voice heard?

So the thing about Congress is…you learn about it one way in school, but when you read the news, it seems like everybody’s playing by a totally different set of rules. It can feel like only people who do politics for a living can get anything done in Washington.

You’re not crazy! There’s how Congress works, and then there’s how Congress really works. And with more and more partisan gridlock every year, people are starting to wonder if anything can get done. Nothing is ever simple, but if you’re ready to put in the work, there’s a lot you can do to impact your representatives and senators.

Hit them up

You might assume that your senators and reps know what you think about the issues – doesn’t there always seem to be some layer of professional advocates and organizations that go crazy every time anyone in DC says something? There is, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a say. Hit the phones, hit send on an email, or hit the streets for a meeting to make your voice heard. (Calls can be especially effective – staffers log every call the office gets!)

Happen to be in the neighborhood

Meeting with your congressional representatives in person at their DC offices is a bit more of an undertaking, but totally worth the trip if you can swing it. You can also get a face-to-face chat much closer to home at one of their district offices. All representatives have at least one office in your congressional district, and senators have several across your state.

Firsthand account

When Congress holds hearings, it asks all kinds of people to testify: experts, government officials, and yes, regular people. If you have experience or expertise that could help Congress understands how an issue affects individual Americans, make sure your senators and representative know that you’re engaged and willing to speak publicly. It’s a long shot, but constituents absolutely testify at hearings, and their words can be powerful.

Bottom up

You may not think of states and cities having DC lobbyists, but they do! That means your representatives are hearing from your state legislators, mayor, county government, and more. Is there a local issue that you think needs more oomph in Congress? Talk to your local elected officials and ask them to push it in Washington.

Knock, knock

Running a successful congressional campaign takes a LOT of elbow grease. Get directly involved by supporting or opposing a House or Senate race. In most House districts, the real action is in the primary (that’s when the Dems and Republicans decide who’s going to run on their party line), so start paying attention early to see which candidate is doing it for you. Posting on social media is just one small piece of winning a campaign – research shows that one-on-one conversations are most effective. Sign up to phonebank if you like making a difference from the comfort of your home, or to knock on doors if you’re looking for some exercise and like to play with other people’s dogs.

Vote

Duh. You’d think so, anyway. Even though the 2020 elections had record voter turnout, millions of eligible voters still didn’t cast ballots. Stop reading this right now and make sure you’re registered to vote! When you get back from doing that, learn how to make the most of your ballot.