Beyond Legislation: What Else Does Congress Do?

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Beyond Legislation What Else Does Congress Do?
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Today

• Constituency Service
• Oversight
• Investigation
• Impeachment
• Advice and Consent

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Constituency Service

• Critical tool for reelection part of the
  incumbency advantage

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Oversight

• The flip side of the hearings during the
  legislative process
• Making sure your laws are being enforced the way
  you want them to be enforced
• If theyre not
• Amend the law to make your intent more clear
• Change/cut/increase funding

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Investigations

• Must be related to an area in which you might
  conceivably legislate, but scope can be broad
• House Un-American Activities Committee and
  communism
• House Government Reform Committee and steroids in
  baseball
• Subpoena witnesses, jail for contempt

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Impeachment

• President, VP, Executive Officials, Federal
  Judges
• Two steps
• Impeachment by House of Representatives
• Majority required for impeachment
• Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson actually
  impeached
• Trial by the Senate (w/ Chief Justice presiding)
• 2/3 vote required for conviction
• No president has ever been removed by this means
• Can only remove someone from office, no other
  penalty

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Advice and Consent The Role of the Senate

• Presidential appointments require Senate consent
• Majority approval required
• Federal judges
• All major executive officials
• Treaties also require Senate consent
• 2/3 approval required
• Presidents frequently bypass by using an
  executive agreement instead