<P> Although this clause provides that the annual meeting was to be on the first Monday in December, the government established by the 1787 Constitution did not begin operations until March 4, 1789 . As the 1st Congress held its initial meeting on March 4, that became the date on which new representatives and senators took office in subsequent years . Therefore, every other year, although a new Congress was elected in November, it did not come into office until the following March, with a "lame duck" session convening in the interim . This practice was altered in 1933 following ratification of the Twentieth Amendment, which states (in Section 2) that, "The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the third day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day". This change virtually eliminated the necessity of there being a lame duck session of Congress . </P> <P> Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide . </P> <P> Section Five states that a majority of each House constitutes a quorum to do business; a smaller number may adjourn the House or compel the attendance of absent members . In practice, the quorum requirement is all but ignored . A quorum is assumed to be present unless a quorum call, requested by a member, proves otherwise . Rarely do members ask for quorum calls to demonstrate the absence of a quorum; more often, they use the quorum call as a delaying tactic . </P> <P> Sometimes, unqualified individuals have been admitted to Congress . For instance, the Senate once admitted John Henry Eaton, a twenty - eight - year - old, in 1818 (the admission was inadvertent, as Eaton's birth date was unclear at the time). In 1934, a twenty - nine - year - old, Rush Holt, was elected to the Senate; he agreed to wait six months, until his thirtieth birthday, to take the oath . The Senate ruled in that case that the age requirement applied as of the date of the taking of the oath, not the date of election . </P>

Article 1 section 2 clause 3 us constitution