A congressman is a member of the United States Congress, the part of our government that makes federal laws. Congress has two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Technically, people in both chambers are members of Congress, but most people use the term congressman specifically for members of the House of Representatives and call Senate members senators instead.

Each state elects congressmen to represent them in Washington, D.C. The number each state gets depends on its population: California has 52 representatives because it has so many people, while smaller states like Wyoming have just one. Every congressman represents a specific district within their state and serves a two-year term before running for reelection.

Congressmen propose new laws (called bills), vote on whether bills should become laws, and represent the interests and concerns of the people who elected them. They work on committees that focus on specific issues like education, defense, or agriculture. When you hear about Congress passing a law or debating an issue, those are congressmen and senators doing their jobs.

Today we also use congresswoman and the gender-neutral congressperson or representative.