The Constitution of the United States
Preamble
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and cure the Blessings of Liberty to ourlves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Article. I. - The Legislative Branch
Section 1 - The Legislature
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and Hou of Reprentatives.
Section 2 - The Hou
The Hou of Reprentatives shall be compod of Members chon every cond Year by the People of the veral States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
No Person shall be a Reprentative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been ven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chon. (Reprentatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the veral States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including tho bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.)(The previous ntence in parenthes was modified by the 14th Amendment, ction 2.) The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subquent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Reprentatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Reprentative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chu three, Massachutts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jery four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five and Georgia three.
When vacancies happen in the Reprentation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
The Hou of Reprentatives shall chu their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
Section 3 - The Senate
The Senate of the United States shall be compod of two Senators from each State, (chon by the Legislature thereof,)(The preceding words in parenthes superded by 17th Amendment, ction 1.) for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote. Immediately after they shall be asmbled in Conquence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Class. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the cond Year, of the cond Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chon every cond Year; (and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwi, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.)(The preceding words in parenthes were superded by the 17th Amendment, ction 2.)
No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Y
ears a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chon.
The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.
The Senate shall chu their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the abnce of the Vice President, or when he shall exerci the Office of President of the United States.
The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpo, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members prent.
Judgment in Cas of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.
Section 4 - Elections, Meetings
The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Reprentatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Place of Chusing Senators.
The Congress shall asmble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall (be on the first Monday in December,)(The preceding words in parenthes were superded by the 20th Amendment, ction 2.) unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.
Section 5 - Membership, Rules, Journals, Adjournment
Each Hou shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of abnt Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each Hou may provide.
Each Hou may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member.
Each Hou shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepti
ng such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either Hou on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of tho Prent, be entered on the Journal.
Neither Hou, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Connt of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Hous shall be sitting.
Section 6 - Compensation
(The Senators and Reprentatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.)(The preceding words in parenthes were modified by the 27th Amendment.) They shall in all Cas, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Hous, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either Hou, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
No Senator or Reprentative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been incread during such time; and no Person holding any Office
under the United States, shall be a Member of either Hou during his Continuance in Office.
Section 7 - Revenue Bills, Legislative Process, Presidential Veto
All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the Hou of Reprentatives; but the Senate may propo or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.
Every Bill which shall have pasd the Hou of Reprentatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be prented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that Hou in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that Hou shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be nt, together with the Objections, to the other Hou, by which it shall likewi be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that Hou, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cas the Votes of both Hous shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each Hou respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been prented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Ca it shall not be a Law.
Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and Hou of Reprentatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be prented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repasd by two thirds of the Senate and Hou of Reprentatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Ca of a Bill.
Section 8 - Powers of Congress
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excis, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excis shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the veral States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and uful Arts, by curing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offens against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To rai and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that U shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, rerving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exerci exclusive Legislation in all Cas whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exerci like Authority over all Places purchad by the Connt of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arnals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Pow
ers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
Section 9 - Limits on Congress
The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be impod on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.
The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cas of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.
No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be pasd.
