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The Senate has exclusive power to confirm U.S. presidential appointments to high offices, and (by two-thirds supermajority to pass main motions) approve or reject treaties, and try cases of impeachment brought by the House. The Senate and the House provide a check and balance on the powers of the executive and judicial branches of government.
Senate rule XXXI governs the Senate process for considering the president's nominations. For most positions, the nomination is passed first to a Senate committee for review. Generally, it is the Senate committee with jurisdiction over the topic or department related to the position to be filled. [11] A public hearing by the committee is possible.
Additionally, Article One, Section 3, Clause 6 grants to the Senate the sole power to try federal impeachments and spells out the basic procedures for impeachment trials. Among the requirements is the stipulation that the Chief Justice of the United States is to preside over presidential impeachment trials.
Nevertheless, while the Senate cannot originate revenue and appropriation bills, it does retain the power to amend or reject them. A congressional act in 1974 established procedures to try to establish appropriate annual spending levels. [7] The Government Accountability Office is an important information-gathering agency for Congress.
In accordance of Rule XXV of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating primarily to the following subjects is referred to the Senate Rules Committee: Administration of the Senate Office Buildings and the Senate wing of the Capitol, including the assignment of office space;
The guarantee of equal suffrage in the Senate is arguably subject to being amended through the procedures outlined within the Article. [26] Law professor George Mader holds that the shielding provision can be amended because it is not "self-entrenched", meaning that it does not contain a provision preventing its own amendment.
The speaker does not normally preside over debates, but is, rather, the leader of the majority party in the House. The Vice President of the United States is, ex officio, President of the Senate. The Senate also elects a President pro tempore. For decades the person elected has been the most senior member of the majority party in the Senate ...
In its early history, the Senate majority leader had few formal powers. But in 1937, the rule giving majority leader right of first recognition was created. With the addition of this rule, the Senate majority leader enjoyed far greater control over the agenda of which bills to be considered on the floor.