1.2 clep

Article 1, Section 7

  • Congress has the power to raise revenue for government functions.

  • Taxing and spending bills must initiate in the House, but the Senate can propose them.

  • Legislation must be presented to the President who can sign it into law or veto it.

Article 1, Section 8

  • Grants Congress the power to collect taxes and import duties (tariffs).

  • Congress can borrow money and manage national debt, among other powers such as coining and printing money, establishing bankruptcy rules, raising armies, maintaining navies, punishing piracy, and ensuring intellectual property rights (copyrights, trademarks, patents).

  • The Necessary and Proper Clause allows Congress to create laws necessary to carry out its enumerated powers.

The Budget and Accounting Act

  • Requires the President to submit a budget to Congress for each fiscal year (October 1 - September 30).

  • Establishes a framework for federal budget preparation and accountability to ensure the government operates within its means.

Budget Enforcement Act (BEA)

  • Established by the 1990 legislation; it defined mandatory and discretionary spending and implemented a "pay as you go" system to manage budget impacts.

  • Set caps on discretionary funding to control government spending and ensure fiscal discipline.

  • Created a process for enforcing budgetary guidelines and addressing budget deficits.

Balanced Budget Act of 1997

  • Resulted in debates about budgets and surpluses between political parties.

  • Aimed to reduce the federal budget deficit through a combination of spending cuts and tax increases.

  • Introduced mechanisms for spending control and aimed to eliminate the budget deficit by fiscal year 2002.

Congress's Right to Govern Washington D.C.

  • Congress has authority over Washington D.C., which is not a state.

  • Has been a Congressional delegate since 1971, which allows participation in committee votes but not on the final vote on the House floor.

  • The 23rd Amendment grants D.C. residents the right to vote for president, and limited representation in Congress since it has no voting representatives in either chamber.