Most Americans are aware that Congress is made up of two chambers (the House of Representatives and the Senate), but did you know they have very distinct powers?
The Framers of our Constitution strategically gave each chamber distinct oversight on the President. While our chief executive has some powers of his own (such as the power to veto bills), he is still subject to some congressional control.
Government Spending
A president cannot direct the spending of taxpayer revenue without the approval of the House of Representatives. This is widely known as the power of the purse.
Case in point: President Trump could not get the southern border wall built under a Democrat-controlled House. It was only by taking some of the funding from the military that he was able to begin construction. Even then, this shifting of military funds could have been blocked by the Supreme Court.
Impeachment
Another power of the House is to impeach civil officers, including the president. However, impeachment does not necessarily mean removal from office. That job goes to the Senate, wherein impeachment trials are conducted to determine if an impeached official is to be convicted and removed.
While both President Clinton and President Trump were impeached by the House, the Senate determined that they would not be removed from office.
Approval of Presidential Appointments
The Senate also has the responsibility to "advise and consent" on presidential appointments.
A president nominates candidates for cabinet positions, federal judges, and directorships, such as the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service.
However, confirmation requires the approval of the Senate. This approval can be very political in nature. Toward the end of his term, President Obama could not get senatorial approval for his Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland toward, and President Trump had to wait several years for some of his cabinet nominees.
Treaties and Foreign Trade
It is also up to the Senate to ratify treaties. However, it is the House that must approve treaties involving foreign trade.
Checking Congressional Power
The Framers of our Constitution strategically crafted our system of checks and balances, so that no one body of government could exert unchecked control on government and thereby violate the liberties of the people.
However, despite these checks and balances, today we are drawing closer to losing our rights as citizens. We are in need of term limits, fiscal responsibility, and a limit on federal overreach.
It’s time for state legislatures to exert their own constitutional check and call for an Article V Convention of States.
