5/2/2023 0 Comments Congressional oversightFor ease of reference, the relevant CRS legislative attorneys and legal products are cited throughout this report. Legal questions on Congress's investigatory powers should be directed to CRS legislative attorneys. Given the size and scope of the modern executive establishment, Congress's oversight role may be even more significant-and more demanding-than when Woodrow Wilson wrote in his classic Congressional Government (1885): "Quite as important as lawmaking is vigilant oversight of administration." Over the years, CRS has assisted many Members, committees, party leaders, and staff aides in the performance of the oversight function: providing consultative support on matters ranging from routine oversight and basic information gathering to the most complex and highest profile investigations conducted by Congress. In subsequent years, CRS has sponsored and conducted various oversight seminars for House and Senate staff and updated the Manual periodically. The Manual was produced by CRS with the assistance initially of a number of House committee staffers. The workshop was organized by a group of House and Senate committee aides from both parties and CRS at the request of the bipartisan House leadership. The Manual is organized both to address specific questions and to support those seeking a general introduction to or broader understanding of oversight practice.ĬRS first developed the Congressional Oversight Manual four decades ago following a three-day December 1978 Workshop on Congressional Oversight and Investigations. It is not intended to address all the legal issues that committees, Members, and staff may encounter when engaged in investigative activities. In addition, the Manual discusses important legal principles that have developed around Congress's oversight practice. This includes information on the mechanics of oversight practice based on the House and Senate rules, common investigative techniques, and an inventory of statutes that impact oversight activity. It is intended to provide a broad overview of the procedural, legal, and practical issues that are likely to arise as Congress conducts oversight. This function is seen as one of Congress's principal roles as it grapples with the complexities of American government.Ī fundamental objective of the Congressional Oversight Manual is to assist Members, committees, and legislative staff in carrying out this vital legislative function. Oversight is considered fundamental to making sure that laws work and are being administered in an effective, efficient, and economical manner. Today's lawmakers and congressional aides, as well as commentators and scholars, recognize that Congress's lawmaking role does not end when it passes legislation. Offices of Senate Legal Counsel and House General Counsel.Oversight Information Sources and Consultant Services.Limitations and Riders on Appropriations.Reporting Requirements, Consultation, and Other Sources of Information.Special Studies and Investigations by Staff, Support Agencies, Outside Contractors, and Others.Monitoring the Federal Register and Unified Agenda.Orientation and Periodic Review Hearings with Agencies.Identifying Relevant Committee Jurisdiction.Individual Member and Minority Party Authority to Conduct Oversight and Investigations.Documents Related to Pending Litigation.Frequently Encountered Information Access Issues.Statutory Limit on Congressional Access to Information.Perjury and False Statement Prosecutions.Legal Tools Available for Oversight and Investigations.Constitutional Authority to Perform Oversight and Investigative Inquiries.Oversight Through Legislative and Investigative Processes.Congressional Participants in Oversight.Illustrative Examples of House and Senate Rules on Oversight.Principal Statutory Authority: Illustrative Examples.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |