Senate.Gov. The United States Senate
Find Your Senators
 
Search
SenatorsCommitteesLegislation and RecordsArts and HistoryVisitorsReference
The United States CapitolTelegraphSenate Floor
Virtual Reference Desk
Public Disclosure
Nominations
Statistics and Lists
Inaugural Web site
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has launched a Web site to provide up-to-date information about the 2009 Presidential Inauguration and related ceremonies along with historical information and photos of inaugurals past.
Capitol Camera
Live video stream of the U.S. Capitol dome available here.
This Week in Senate History
Photo of Charles McNary, Life Magazine
January 5, 1937

Republican leader Charles McNary, for the first time, occupied the front-row, center-aisle desk on the eastern side of the Chamber. Democratic leader Joseph T. Robinson had inaugurated a comparable tradition on his side of the center aisle ten years earlier.

More»
2008 Session Schedule
Scheduled Hearings
Active Legislation
Votes
Floor Schedule

Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009

12:00 p.m.: Convene the first session of the 111th Congress.


Previous Meeting

Friday, Jan 02, 2009

The Senate convened at 10:00 a.m. for a pro forma session. No record votes were taken.


Daily Digest (latest issue)


Senate Calendar (latest issue)


Executive Calendar (latest issue, PDF format)

The Senate Chamber: 1859-2009

On January 4, 1859, sixty-six senators representing thirty-three states moved in procession into a large and beautiful Chamber, the centerpiece of a new Senate wing built in the 1850s.


The United States Senate in Session in Their New Chamber. 12-31-1859 The Senate of the 110th Congress
1859 Senate Chamber 110th Congress

Since 1789, when just twenty-two senators convened the first Senate, the number of senators had tripled as new states joined the Union and the Senate's old Chamber became crowded, noisy, and worn. News accounts of the event noted the solemn procession, the "finely proportioned" Chamber, and the colorful stained-glass ceiling. Spacious galleries accommodated up to 600 visitors and dignitaries. The Senate had a new home—a Chamber that would witness many historic debates, producing legislation that would reshape the nation.

Over the past 150 years, the Senate Chamber has undergone many changes. By the 1930s, age and decay threatened collapse of the old glass-paneled ceiling, and the Chamber's lighting and ventilation system needed modernizing. A mid-20th century renovation brought upgraded amenities and a clean, contemporary design. Cosmetic improvements in the 1980s provided a telegenic background as C-SPAN coverage of Senate proceedings began in 1986. Today, the Senate Chamber is a blend of old and new—of traditional and modern. It is a place where 19th-century mahogany desks and snuff boxes coexist with the computers and television cameras of the modern age.

Evolution of the Senate Chamber, 1859-2009


Past Feature Articles

Capitol Tours
Photo Capitol Hill

FOR INFORMATION ON CAPITOL TOURS, PLEASE CALL 202-226-8000

The visitors page is your source for information on Capitol tours, maps of the area and visiting Washington, D.C.