Powers, LDRS, & Committees

Powers of Congress

Types of Power Delegated to Congress

Enumerated Powers: clearly written in the Constitution Implied Powers: NOT clearly stated in the Constitution but are reasonably suggested based on Enumerated Powers Inherent Powers: Power that automatically belong to all sovereign nations

Key Enumerated Powers of Congress

The Commerce Power

• Regulate trade with foreign nations & between states

The Money Powers

• Collect/Levy Taxes
• Borrowing/Credit
• Bankruptcy laws
• Create money

The War Powers

• Declare war
• Raise an army/navy

The Executive Powers

• Approve/Deny presidential appointments
• Approve/Deny treaties
• Impeachment
• HoR files charges of impeachment
• Senate judges impeachment cases

The ‘Other’ Powers

• Intellectual rights, post offices, territories and the capital, measurements, naturalization
• Making Constitutional Amendments

The ‘Necessary and Proper’ Clause

Key Implied Powers of Congress

The “Necessary and Proper’ Clause makes the Constitution flexible enough to be kept relevant due to constantly shifting interpretations. Ex)

• Building national highways
• Creating a national bank and the IRS
• Conducting a draft to ‘raise an army’
• Oversight of matters related to OR interfering with lawmaking

Congressional Leadership

Presiding Officers

House of Representatives

Senate

Speaker of the House

• Responsible for leading proceedings, managing legislative agendas, and representing the House

President of the Senate (Vice President)

• Casts tie-breaking votes and represents the executive branch in the legislative process.

President Pro Tempore

• Presides over Senate sessions in the VP’s absence
• Third in line for presidential succession.

Party Officers

The Floor Leaders

• Important leaders in the House and Senate
• Responsible for guiding their party’s agenda, coordinating strategies, and rallying party members.

1 Majority Leader in HoR & Senate; 1 Minority Leader in HoR & Senate The Whips

• Assist party leaders by tracking votes, ensuring member attendance, and encouraging party discipline to secure support for their party’s legislative priorities.

1 Majority Whip in HoR & Senate; 1 Minority Whip in HoR & Senate

Committees

• Committees look at the way that government functions to:
• Identify issues that require review
• Gather & evaluate information
• Make legislative recommendations to the House and/or Senate.
• Do most of the work drafting bills

Types of Committees

Standing Committees: Permanent committees with specific areas of focus.

• Divided into smaller subcommittees

Select Committees: Committees created for a specific purpose. Joint Committees: Committees that include members from both the House and Senate. Joint committees usually have limited jurisdictions and don't have the authority to report legislation,