Orange County is a wonderful place for families, especially kids. As a mom and former middle school teacher, Congresswoman Porter knows how important it is for kids to be involved in our community. This page will help you learn more about our federal government and tell you a little more about Congresswoman Porter. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can always write to our office (with your parent’s permission, of course). Congresswoman Porter loves to write back to kids in Orange County—it’s one of her favorite parts of the job!
One of Congresswoman Porter’s first jobs was teaching middle school math. She has 3 kids: a high schooler, a middle schooler, and an elementary schooler, and until she got too busy with Congress, she served as a Cub Scout Leader.
Congresswoman Porter wants everyone to understand how our government works, and that includes kids!
Here are some fast facts about Congress:
The United States Congress has two groups of lawmakers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The House is made up of 435 voting members, plus 6 non-voting members that represent the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.
States have a certain number of representatives based on how many people live there. California sends 53 representatives (including Congresswoman Porter) to DC—the most of any state!
States are guaranteed at least one seat in the House of Representatives. Alaska, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Delaware, and Vermont each send one representative.
House members are elected every two years in the even numbered years. When is the next election?
Representatives must be at least 25 years old, but there is no upper limit. Guess the age of the youngest current Representative? How about the oldest?
The Senate has 100 senators, two from each state, no matter how many people live there.
Senators are elected every six years, and one-third of them are up for re-election every two years. California elected Senators in 2016 and 2018, so our next Senate election is in 2022.
Senators must be at least 30 years old. Our current Senators are Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla.
When she’s not in Orange County, Congresswoman Porter can usually be found hard at work in the Capitol Building. Take a virtual tour ⬇️
Curious about how to contact members of Congress?Asher, a middle schooler from Orange County, made a fantastic video tutorial detailing how to get in touch with elected officials.
There are tons of great resources out there for kids who want to learn more about our democracy. Check out a few of Congresswoman Porter’s favorite links below:
Today in History – The Library of Congress updates this page every day with important stories from American history.
The Library of Congress’ Kids Page – Families can find author talks, printable activities, interactive games, and more on this website from the Library of Congress.
NASA Kids’ Club – Want to explore outer space? Team up with Nebula and learn more about the space station, rockets, and even airplanes on this website run by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
EPA’s Kids Page – K-12 students and teachers can check out this page from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for videos, games, and quizzes on the environment.
Smithsonian’s Kids Page – Featuring dozens of activities, projects, and games, this website run by the Smithsonian can teach kids of all ages about art, science, history, and more.
Docs Teach – Check out historical documents and learn from primary sources—like photographs, speeches, and posters—on this website from the National Archives.
KidsPost – Read news just for kids on the Washington Post’s kids page.
As a mom of three, Congresswoman Porter has read a lot of children’s books! Here are a few of her favorites, some about our nation, and others that are just fun!
John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith
Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock
Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
Sharkabet by Ray Troll
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
