Q1: What is the U.S. Congress?
The U.S. Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Q2: How many members are in Congress?
There are 100 Senators and 435 Representatives, totaling 535 voting members.
Q3: Who can be impeached, and how does it work?
The President, Cabinet members, and Supreme Court justices can all be impeached.
The process has two steps:
• The House of Representatives votes to impeach with a simple majority (more than half).
• The Senate holds a trial and requires a two‑thirds vote (67 of 100 Senators, if all vote) to convict and remove the official from office.
Q4: How is a Supreme Court nominee confirmed?
The President nominates a candidate, and the Senate votes to confirm by a simple majority (51 votes if all 100 Senators are present).
Q5: How is a Cabinet member confirmed?
The President nominates a candidate, and the Senate confirms by a simple majority vote.
Q6: How is a federal judge (not on the Supreme Court) and Cabinet members confirmed?
Federal judges are nominated by the President and must be confirmed by a simple majority vote in the Senate.
Q7: What is the presidential line of succession?
If the President can no longer serve, the office immediately passes to the Vice President.
After the Vice President, the line of succession is:
• Speaker of the House
• President pro tempore of the Senate
• Secretary of State
• Secretary of the Treasury
• Secretary of Defense
• Attorney General
(and continues through the Cabinet positions in order of creation).
Q8: How quickly would a new President take office if the sitting President died?
Succession is immediate. The moment the President dies, resigns, or is removed, the Vice President automatically becomes President. The new President usually takes the oath of office as soon as possible, often within hours, but legally the transfer of power does not wait for the ceremony.
Q9: Has a Supreme Court Justice ever been impeached?
Yes, Justice Samuel Chase was impeached in 1804 but acquitted in the Senate.