Visualize the 117th Senate and its members, and compare it with past congresses
Robert Smalls, born enslaved in South Carolina, stole the CSS Planter and delivered it to Union troops. After the Civil War, Smalls was elected to the South Carolina legislature and later to the U.S. Congress where he served 5 terms during and after Reconstruction.
Under the direction of President John Adams, the Congress passed the Sedition Act of 1798, which made it a criminal offence to publish statements critical of the federal government. The first individual to be tried under the law was Rep. Matthew Lyon, who unsurprisingly had voted against its passage. Lyon was re-elected from jail.
The House of Representatives authorized use of military force against Iraq in response to the invasion of Kuwait and United National Security Council Resolution 678
Sen. Rand Paul's motion to hold that the Senate cannot try an impeached official who is no longer in office was defeated 55-45. Most legal scholars agree such a trial is permissible.
