You should call House members ‘representatives,’ because that’s what they are − not ‘congressmen’ or ‘congresswomen’

Members of the 117th Congress, soon to be known as 'representatives,' take the oath of office on Jan. 3, 2021. Bill Clark/Pool via AP

For most of the nation’s history, members of the U.S. House of Representatives have been addressed as “Congressman” or “Congresswoman.” By contrast, a senator is referred to as, well, “Senator.”

These gendered terms for House members dominate in journalism, everyday conversation and among members of Congress.