Making laws
a Congress
The two-year meeting of the legislature between House elections, numbered sequentially since 1789 and divided into two annual sessions.
In full
Each 'Congress' spans two years, beginning January 3 of odd-numbered years, and is numbered sequentially (the 119th convened in January 2025). Legislation lives and dies within a single Congress: any measure not enacted when the Congress ends must start over. A 'lame-duck session' is the post-election period when the outgoing Congress is still seated.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.