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Congress of the United States - encyclopedia article about Congress of the United States. (6956 words) |
 | The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government government of the United States, established by the U.S. Constitution, is a federal republic of 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and many insular areas, the largest of which are Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam. |
 | For instance, Congress may not suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus (except in extreme cases of rebellion or invasion), pass bills of attainder or ex post facto laws, or grant titles of nobility. |
 | Thus, the current Congress (whose term lasts from 2005 to 2007) is known as the "109th Congress"; the previous Congress (whose term lasted from 2003 to 2005) was the "108th Congress," and so forth. |