Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Senate is one of two chambers of the legislative branch responsible for creating and passing federal laws. It has 100 members — two from each state — who serve six-year terms with no limit. As one of the chambers of Congress, the Senate enacts federal laws, sets federal budgets, declares wars and approves treaties, confirms presidential appointments like judges and cabinet members, and conducts impeachment trials for federal officials. It was established in 1789.

In FY 2024,

$1.22B

was spent by the Senate
In FY 2024,

38.4%

of Congress spending was by the Senate

How much does the Senate spend?

The Senate spent a net total of $1.22 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 38.4% of the $3.19 billion spent by Congress, which itself was 0.047% of all federal spending. The Senate ranked second among CONG subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Senate ranked second among Congress divisions in net spending in 2024.

CONG net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Senate’s federal spending has increased from $716.1 million in 1980 to $1.22 billion in 2024.

The Senate’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by Senate, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, Senate's spending has increased 71.1%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. Senate spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, the Senate accounted for 0.018% of overall federal spending.

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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Senate’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by Senate as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, all of the Senate's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net Senate spending.

How did the Senate spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to Senate, FY 2024

Who leads the Senate?

The Senate is led by the Vice President of the United States, who serves as the President of the Senate. The Vice President is elected nationally as part of a presidential ticket and does not require Senate confirmation. Day-to-day proceedings are typically overseen by the president pro tempore, a senior member of the majority party elected by the Senate. The president pro tempore serves as long as chosen by Senate members.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • Office of Personnel Management

    FedScope

  • Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury

    Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement

    Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury logo