| | [[File:US Senate Chamber.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Senate chamber, showing visitors gallery (top) and Senator's desks on the floor.]] | | [[File:US Senate Chamber.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Senate chamber, showing visitors gallery (top) and Senator's desks on the floor.]] |
| − | The '''United States Senate''' is the [[upper house]] of the [[United States Congress]], the [[lower house]] being the [[United States House of Representatives]]. The U.S. Senate is composed of 100 Senators, two from each of the 50 [[state]]s. The Senate convenes in [[Washington, D.C.]]. As of 2022, Democrats control the Senate, with 48 Democrats, 50 Republicans, and 2 Independents, including [[Bernie Sanders]] and [[Angus King]], who vote and caucus with the [[Democrat Party]]. | + | The '''United States Senate''' is the [[upper house]] of the [[United States Congress]], the [[lower house]] being the [[United States House of Representatives]]. The U.S. Senate is composed of 100 Senators, two from each of the 50 [[state]]s. The Senate convenes in [[Washington, D.C.]]. As of 2026, Republicans have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, plus the tie-breaking vote held by [[Vice President]] [[J.D. Vance]]. Included with the Democrat voting strength are 2 Independences, [[Bernie Sanders]] and [[Angus King]], who caucus with the [[Democrat Party]] almost always vote with the [[Democrat]]s. |
| | The U.S. Senate, along with the [[House]] in a joint session of [[Congress]] held on January 6, 2021, accepts or rejects the [[Electoral College]] votes for president. If the Senate declines to certify 270 votes for a candidate amid alternate slates of Electors, then the presidential election is transferred to the [[House]] to select the president from the top three contenders, with each State having an equal vote, rather than voting by population proportion as the House usually does. | | The U.S. Senate, along with the [[House]] in a joint session of [[Congress]] held on January 6, 2021, accepts or rejects the [[Electoral College]] votes for president. If the Senate declines to certify 270 votes for a candidate amid alternate slates of Electors, then the presidential election is transferred to the [[House]] to select the president from the top three contenders, with each State having an equal vote, rather than voting by population proportion as the House usually does. |