A term of Congress is the length of time during which the United States Congress meets and conducts its business. Each term of Congress lasts two years, starting on January 3 of an odd-numbered year and ending on January 3 of the next odd-numbered year. This two-year period includes sessions where Congress meets, passes legislation, and carries out other responsibilities. To summarize:
- A term of Congress lasts two years.
- It begins on January 3 of an odd-numbered year and ends on January 3 two years later.
- Each term includes sessions of the House of Representatives (with members serving two-year terms) and the Senate (with senators serving six-year staggered terms, so about one-third of the Senate is up for election every two years).
This structure ensures that while the entire House is up for election every two years, only a portion of the Senate is up for election in the same period, maintaining continuity in the Senate. The current Congress is identified by the number that corresponds to its sequence since the first Congress convened in 1789—for example, the 119th Congress from 2025 to 2027.
