1. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
2. Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second 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 chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, 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.
3. No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.
4. The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.
5.The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.
6.The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, 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 present.
7. Judgment in Cases 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.
1. Each state will have two senators. Each senators will serve for six years. Each senator will have one vote in the Senate. (The Constitution at first said senate legislatures would elect senators. In 1913 Amendment 17 gave voters the right to elect senators directly.)
2. When the Senate meets for the first time, it will be divided into three groups. The first group of senators will serve for two years. The second groups will serve for four years, and the third group will serve for six years. Then in the future, the terms will be staggered so that one third of the senators will be elected every two years. (If a senator dies or resigns, at first the Constitution gave state lawmakers the power to choose a new senator. Amendment 17 changed that. Now the governor calls for an election, or state lawmakers may tell the governor to choose a senator until the next election.)
3. In order to be a senator, a person:
must be at least 30 years old,
must have been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and
must be a legal resident of the state he or she is elected to represent
4. The Vice President of the United States will also be the president of the Senate. (This is the only job the Constitution assigns to the U.S. Vice President.) The Vice President will have a vote only when there is a tie.
5. The senators may elect any other officers they need. They will have a president pro tempore (for the time being), who will serve as chairman if the U.S. Vice President is absent.
6. If the House of Representatives impeaches a public official, the Senate is the jury for the trial. Senators are under oath during the trial. If the President of the United States is impeached, the judge will be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It takes a vote of two thirds of the senators at the trial for a person to be convicted (found guilty)
7. Officials who are convicted by the Senate are removed from government office. They cannot hold any other office. They will not be punished in any other way, but they may have no stand trial in the regular courts.