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Congress’s oversight authority derives from its "implied" powers in the Constitution, public laws, and House and Senate rules. It is an integral part of the American system of checks and balances. Some scholars have questioned the efficacy of congressional oversight in ensuring bureaucratic performance and compliance with law. [2]
Constitutionally, Congress can only remove officers through impeachment proceedings. Members of Congress cannot serve as commissioners on independent agencies that have executive powers, [16] nor can Congress itself appoint the commissioners – the Appointments Clause of the Constitution vests that power in the president. [17]
One congressional power is oversight of other branches of the government. In the early 1970s, the Senate investigated the activities of President Richard Nixon regarding Watergate which led to the president's resignation. One of the foremost legislative functions of the Congress is the power to investigate and to oversee the executive branch.
However, Congressional oversight into intelligence issues is a complex task, requiring a sophisticated understanding of the issues. [2] The floor debate for the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 provided a clear example of the difficulties Congress faces when trying to modify intelligence legislation. Members, for reasons of classification or ...
Obstructing the work of Congress is a crime under federal law, and is known as contempt of Congress. Each house of Congress has the power to cite individuals for contempt, but may not impose any punishment. Instead, after a house issues a contempt citation, the judicial system pursues the matter like a normal criminal case.
A significant part of a committee's hearings workload is dedicated to oversight. For example, on a single day, May 8, 1996, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held an oversight hearing to look into a recent increase in gasoline prices; the Committee on Governmental Affairs held an oversight hearing on the Internal Revenue ...
Any legitimate government agency is subject to oversight mechanisms, including public records laws, congressional oversight and accountability measures such as inspector general reports. DOGE, as ...
The term "Gang of Eight" gained wide use in coverage of the controversial warrantless surveillance of American citizens by the National Security Agency under the George W. Bush administration, in the context that no members of Congress other than the Gang of Eight were informed of the program, and they were forbidden to disseminate knowledge of the program to other members of Congress.