Congress

Congress is the legislative branch of the US government, located in Washington, DC. Columbia has had a long and varied relationship with the organ.

For example, during the eighteenth century, Congress actually shut down during Columbia's first Commencement after the Revolutionary War in deference to the then mere college (it probably made a difference that the capital of the United States, and hence Congress itself, was then located in New York City). However, in 2024 pressure from Congress arguably led to Minouche Shafik cracking down on the Gaza Solidarity Encampment.

Many Columbians have also served in Congress.