CONGRESSOFTHEUNITEDSTATES

　　CongressoftheUnitedStates,legislativebranchoftheUnitedStatesgovernment.Congressiscomposedoftwochamberswithequalpowers:the100-memberSenateandthe435-memberHouseofRepresentatives.TheprimarydutyofCongressistowrite,debate,andpassbills(proposedlaws),whicharethenpassedontothepresidentforapproval.Oncethepresidentapprovesthelegislation,theexecutivebranchenforcesthenewlawsandthejudicialbranchinterpretsthem.Othercongressionaldutiesincludeinvestigatingpressingnationalissues,supervisingtheexecutiveandjudicialbranches,andshapingU.S.foreignpolicy.

　　POWERSOFCONGRESS

　　TheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesgrantsCongress“alllegislativepowers”inthenationalgovernment.ArticleI,Section8,oftheConstitutionlistsawiderangeofcongressionalpowers,includingprintingmoney,maintainingamilitary,declaringwar,andregulatinginterstateandforeigncommerce.Congressalsocontrolsfederaltaxingandspendingpolicies—oneofthemostimportantsourcesofpowerinthegovernment.TheConstitutionalsogivesCongresstheauthorityto“makealllawswhichshallbenecessaryandproper,”animpliedsourceofpowersometimescalledtheElasticClause.

　　OneofthemostimportantimpliedpowersisCongress’sauthoritytoinvestigateandoverseetheexecutivebranchanditsagencies,suchastheDepartmentofDefenseandtheDepartmentofJustice.Aspartofthisresponsibility,whichisknownasoversight,Congresssummonsseniorofficialstoanswerquestionsfrommembers,ordersauditsofagencies,andholdshearingstoairgrievancesofcitizens.

　　Congressalsoholdshearingsonmattersofgeneralpublicconcern.SometimesmembersofCongressconductthesehearingstoidentifyproblemsthatcreateaneedfornewlaws.InothercasesCongressholdshearingstoraisepublicawarenessaboutanissue.SometimesmembersofCongressconducthearingsinanefforttobolstertheirreputationsandimprovetheirelectionprospects.

　　Somecongressionalpowersremainrarelyused.Congresscanimpeachthepresidentandotherfederalofficialsfortreason,bribery,andotherseriousoffenses,butitrarelydoesso.AlthoughmembersofCongressdiscussimpeachmentfromtimetotimeandhaveinitiatedproceedingsinmanycases,therehavebeenonly14formalimpeachmenttrials.Ofthe14officialstried,onlyhalfwereconvictedandremovedfromoffice.TheHouseofRepresentativesvotesonwhethertochargeofficialswithimpeachableoffenses.IftheHousevotestoimpeach,thentheSenateconductstheimpeachmenttrialitself.ThevicepresidentoftheUnitedStatespresidesovertheSenateduringimpeachmentproceedings,exceptwhenthepresidentisimpeached.Inanimpeachmentofthepresident,thechiefjusticeoftheSupremeCourtpresidesovertheproceedings.Atwo-thirdsmajorityvoteofsenatorspresentatanimpeachmenttrialisnecessarytosecureconviction.

　　CongressalsorarelyusesitspowertoamendtheConstitution.TheConstitutionpermitsCongresstoproposenewconstitutionalamendmentsthroughatwo-thirdsvoteofbothchambers,whichthenmustberatifiedbythree-fourthsofthestates.ThedifficultyofamendingtheConstitutionstopsCongressfromproposingnewamendmentsveryoften.

　　Congresssharesmanypowerswiththepresident.Congresstakesequalres