A Reference Resource. The American Presidency Project. Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. The House Explained. What is a Representative? Also referred to as a congressman or congresswoman, each representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district.
Among other duties, representatives introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments and serve on committees. The number of representatives with full voting rights is 435, a number set by Public Law 62-5 on August 8, 1911, and in effect since 1913. The number of representatives per state is proportionate to population. Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution provides for both the minimum and maximum sizes for the House of Representatives.
Currently, there are five delegates representing the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. To be elected, a representative must be at least 25 years old, a United States citizen for at least seven years and an inhabitant of the state he or she represents. Find Your Representative Did You Know? The American Nation Online.