The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal
government. It is bicameral, comprising the House of Representatives and the
Senate. The House of Representatives consists of 435 members, each of whom
represents a congressional district and serves for a two-year term. House seats
are apportioned among the states by population; in contrast, each state has two
Senators, regardless of population. There are a total of 100 senators (as there
are currently 50 states), who serve six-year terms (one third of the Senate
stands for election every two years). Each congressional chamber (House or
Senate) has particular exclusive powers—the Senate must give "advice and
consent" to many important Presidential appointments, and the House must
introduce any bills for the purpose of raising revenue. However, the consent of
both chambers is required to make any law. The powers of Congress are limited to
those enumerated in the Constitution; all other powers are reserved to the
states and the people. The Constitution also includes the "necessary-and-proper
clause", which grants Congress the power to "make all laws which shall be
necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers." Members
of the House and Senate are elected by first-past-the-post voting in every state
except Louisiana and Washington, which have runoffs.
The Constitution does not specifically call for the establishment of
Congressional committees. As the nation grew, however, so did the need for
investigating pending legislation more thoroughly. The 108th Congress
(2003-2005) had 19 standing committees in the House and 17 in the Senate, plus
four joint permanent committees with members from both houses overseeing the
Library of Congress, printing, taxation, and the economy. In addition, each
house can name special, or select, committees to study specific problems.
Because of an increase in workload, the standing committees have also spawned
some 150 subcommittees.
Congressional oversight is intended to prevent waste and fraud, protect civil
liberties and individual rights, ensure executive compliance with the law,
gather information for making laws and educating the public, and evaluate
executive performance. It applies to cabinet departments, executive agencies,
regulatory commissions, and the presidency. Congress's oversight function takes
many forms:
Committee inquiries and hearings
Formal consultations with and reports from the President
Senate advice and consent for presidential nominations and for treaties
House impeachment proceedings and subsequent Senate trials
House and Senate proceedings under the 25th Amendment in the event that the
President becomes disabled or the office of the Vice President falls vacant
Informal meetings between legislators and executive officials
Congressional membership on governmental commissions
Studies by congressional committees and support agencies such as the
Congressional Budget Office, and the Government Accountability Office, both of
which are arms of Congress
Responsibilities of a Congressperson
Each individual Congressperson assumes three roles: legislator, committee
member, and representative of their constituents. Often he or she must also
juggle these responsibilities with party affiliation, in association with the
two most powerful parties of the U.S., the Democratic Party and the Republican
Party.
Powers of Congress
The Constitution grants numerous powers to Congress. These include the
powers: to levy and collect taxes in order to pay debts, provide for common
defense and general welfare of the U.S.; to borrow money on the credit of the
U.S.; to regulate commerce with other nations and between the states; to
establish a uniform rule of naturalization; to coin money and regulate its
value; provide for punishment for counterfeiting; establish post offices and
roads, promote progress of science, create courts inferior to the Supreme Court,
define and punish piracies and felonies, declare war, raise and support armies,
provide and maintain a navy, make rules for the regulation of land and naval
forces, provide for, arm, and discipline the militia, exercise exclusive
legislation in Washington D.C, and make laws necessary and proper to execute the
powers of Congress.
