Legislative Powers of Congress in the Constitution

Economic Policy (Both Chambers)

Create and collect taxes, coin money, borrow money, regulate the value of currency, and regulate interstate and foreign commerce. Power to create laws "necessary and proper" to carry out enumerated powers.

Economic Policy (House)

all bills to raise revenue must be generated in the house

Economic Policy (Senate)

Propose budgetary amendments. In practice, the Senate has become a coequal partner in setting national revenue policy.

Foreign Policy (Both Chambers)

regulate trade with other nations

Foreign Policy (Senate)

confirm ambassadors with a majority vote and ratify treaties entered into by a president through a two-thirds vote

National Security (Both Chambers)

Declare war, raise and support armies and a naval force, power to call up the military "to execute the laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections, and repel Invasions," define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas.

Other powers involving the Executive Branch (House)

Issue articles of impeachment against the president, vice president, and other executive branch officers

Other powers involving the Executive Branch (Senate)

Confirms presidential nominations of executive branch officers with a majority vote and convicts impeached officials with a 2/3 vote

Powers involving the Judicial Branch (Both Chambers)

Create levels of the judicial branch below the supreme court, establish the number of supreme court justices

Powers involving the Judicial Branch (house)

Issues articles of impeachment against members of the federal judiciary

Powers involving the Judicial Branch (Senate)

Confirms nominees to the federal judiciary by a majority vote. Senate tries members of the federal judiciary who have been impeached.

Through Necessary and Proper Clause (Both Chambers)

"To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution and foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution in the government of the US."

Through Subsequent Amendments (Both Chambers)

Individual amendments (such as the 13th , 14th, 15th grant Congress, "the power to enforce by appropriate legislation, " those amendments