Bowling, Helen E. Veit, eds. Volume X. Bickford, Charlene Bangs, Helen E. Legislative Histories. Volume VI. Chapter 2. Washington, D. Chapter V. The Federalist Papers. New York: Penguin Books, Featured Search Historical Highlights of the House. Learn about Foreign Leader Addresses. Featured Search the People of the House. Majority Leaders. Bean Soup! Featured Black Americans in Congress.
To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;. To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;.
To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;. To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;.
To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;. To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;. To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;. To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;.
To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District not exceeding ten miles square as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings;--And.
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof. The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each person.
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. No capitation, or other direct, tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.
No preference shall be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the ports of one state over those of another: nor shall vessels bound to, or from, one state, be obliged to enter, clear or pay duties in another. No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law; and a regular statement and account of receipts and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time.
No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.
No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts; pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility.
No state shall, without the consent of the Congress, lay any imposts or duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection laws: and the net produce of all duties and imposts, laid by any state on imports or exports, shall be for the use of the treasury of the United States; and all such laws shall be subject to the revision and control of the Congress.
No state shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops, or ships of war in time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact with another state, or with a foreign power, or engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay. Please help us improve our site! No thank you. LII U. Constitution Article I. Section 1. Ultimately, Congress has the power to remove the president from office through impeachment, a process in which the House investigates alleged wrongdoing and votes on the charges, and the Senate tries the president on these charges.
In , Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House and tried by the Senate, narrowly escaping conviction. Richard M. Nixon resigned in after the House Judiciary Committee recommended impeachment charges.
Bill Clinton was impeached December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice but won acquittal in the Senate by a comfortable margin. From time to time Congress sets up special committees to investigate subjects that do not fall directly in the jurisdiction of its standing committees. Its power of investigation is considered one of the essential functions of Congress. Special committees have been created to investigate criminal charges against members, to study social and economic problems, to probe into unethical political activities, and to publicize controversial issues.
Famous special committees were the House Committee on Un-American Activities, set up in to investigate fascist, Communist, and other extremist political organizations, the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities commonly known as the Watergate committee , set up in , and the House and Senate select committees investigating the Iran-contra affair in In the s, Congress accelerated its use of the legislative veto, a device originated in the s by which provisions were written into a law requiring the executive to seek congressional approval before taking actions authorized under that law.
By the s, legislative veto provisions had been included in more than laws, including the War Powers Act. This practice came under mounting attack from presidents and other executive branch officials, and eventually it was challenged in the federal courts. In the U. Supreme Court ruled that the legislative veto was an unconstitutional intrusion by the legislature into the executive sphere.
A line-item veto, by which a president could veto isolated portions of a law, was enacted by Congress in but ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Congress and the Public Members of Congress live and work under great pressure. House members, whose terms are only two years, must start planning for their next campaign as soon as they are elected to the first one. Members commonly travel weekly to their districts, maintain staff and offices there, send newsletters to their constituents, and campaign vigorously for reelection even when their districts are considered "safe" seats.
They make extensive use of free postal services and the printed reports of the Congressional Record to show their constituents that they are active in their behalf. Members are also constantly canvassed by lobbyists representing special-interest groups. Under pressure from the public to open up its deliberations, the House in authorized television coverage of its proceedings on C-SPAN, the public-affairs network.
The Senate followed suit in In the early s, Congress also took up reform proposals relating to campaign finance and lobbyists'contributions. In the House banking facility was closed after revelations of members' overdrafts. Bibliography: Arnold, R. Calvin, eds.
Download the PDF from here. Create a List. List Name Save. Rename this List. Rename this list. List Name Delete from selected List. Save to. Save to:. Save Create a List. Create a list. Save Back. Congress of the United States. Grades 6—8 , 9— The Congress of the United States, the nation's lawmaking body, is made up of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The main power of Congress, as set forth in the U. Constitution, is to make laws that, when signed by the president, become the law of the land, governing American life.
Congress also has the responsibility to determine that public policies are being administered by the government in accordance with the law and as efficiently and effectively as possible. The news reporting of congressional hearings, debates, and other activities provides citizens with much information about what their government is doing. Congress sometimes is required to perform specialized judicial and electoral functions. It acts as a judicial body in the process of impeachment and removal of the president, and it has the power to choose the president and vice-president should no candidate gain a majority of electoral votes following a presidential election.
Samuel C. Patterson Bibliography: Arnold, R. View not found. Related Subjects. Congress Democracy. About Us.
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