Congress and the Executive IV

Strauss and confirmation hearings.

REVIEW: Legislation:  Executive Branch Organization and Laws on Reporting 

• Inspectors General  (Trump firings)
• Reporting requirements
• The old legislative veto and the Congressional Review Act.  (A rare example of one that became law)  See Davidson, p. 318
• Congress "organizes" the executive:
  --  The "organization" of DHS.
-- DNI and the intelligence community
• AUMF: More in 2 weeks.

• The definitive encyclopedia article!
• Inherent contempt
• Civil contempt 
• Criminal contempt

Actions in the Public Sphere: moves by members of Congress that catch the attention of alert publics.  Besides legislation (duh), the moves could include:

• Speeches and filibusters
• Writings -- Senator Biden and the War Power
• Electronic communications (e.g., tweets)
• Demonstrations & Photo Ops
• Interviews
• Hearings (esp. Investigative Hearings)

Key hearings

• Hiss-Chambers
• McCarthy
• Kefauver (and the fictional version)
• Vietnam hearings
• Senate Watergate hearings
• Iran-Contra hearings (4:20)
• J6