The U.S. Congress, and the House of Representatives in particular, is set up to be the branch of government most responsive to all of the American people. But there are serious doubts as to whether Congress represents a significant segment of society – the poor. Despite increased concerns about inequality in American politics and society, we know surprisingly little about whether and how the poor are represented in Congress. This chapter develops the normative basis for why we should care about the representation of the poor, and situates the study within the literatures on democratic theory, poverty studies, and legislative behavior, none of which fully engages whether the poor are represented in Congress or by whom. I conclude by outlining the upcoming chapters, which evolve on two dimensions: from a focus on Congress overall to individual members, and from sobering findings of non-representation to more optimistic evidence of champions of the poor and occasional policy success.