Congress - Functions - Oversight

Question 1

Congressional Oversight of Supreme Court

Answer 1

Ratification of nominees 
Creation of lower courts
Justices can be impeached
Congress decides number of justices
Congress can initiate constitutional amendment that challenges SC verdict - Family smoking prevention and tobacco control act gave FDA powers against SC

Question 2

Congress can effectively scrutinise exec:

Answer 2

Senate select committee investigations (torture of suspected 2001 terrorists)
Appointment ratifying - senate - Trumps Brett Talley lifetime nomination blocked, no cases tried
Able to force report release from white house on trump’s ukraine aid bribe
⅔ majority can override presidential veto
Impeachments can occur, seen with trump twice, makes them weak
Power of the purse - vietnam funding cut, budget slows

Question 3

Congress can’t effectively scrutinise exec:

Answer 3

Committee hearings are politicised - Clinton Benghazi called 8 times in an effort to damage reputation in election run up
Recess appointments are used - Bush did 170, promotes imperialism,
Executive action circumvents congress entirely - Trumps declaration of emergency for 8B funding wall