 Elected as a Whig to the 31st and 32nd United States Congresses, Biggs was United States Representative for the fifth district of New York from March 4, 1849, to March 3, 1853.He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1852.Briggs was then elected as a Republican to the 36th United States Congress, and was United States Representative for the seventh district of New York from March 4, 1859, to March 3, 1861.