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Appointments & Oversight

Confirmations, removals, hearings, subpoenas, and impeachment: how Congress checks the executive.

Acting Officials and the Vacancies Act
The rules that govern who may temporarily perform the duties of a vacant Senate-confirmed office, and for how long, under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998
Advice and Consent
The Senate's constitutional role in approving the President's treaties and senior appointments
Blue Slips
The Senate Judiciary Committee tradition that lets home-state senators approve or block nominees for federal judgeships and U.S. attorney posts in their state
Censure and Expulsion
How the House and Senate discipline their own members, from reprimand and censure by majority vote to expulsion by a two-thirds vote
Congressional Hearings
The public sessions in which committees take testimony to consider legislation, oversee agencies, investigate wrongdoing, and review nominations
Congressional Oversight
How Congress investigates and monitors the executive branch, and the limits on that power
Ethics and Financial Disclosure
The rules that require members of Congress, senior officials, and judges to report their finances, limit gifts and conflicts of interest, and the bodies that enforce them
Impeachment
How Congress can remove a President, judge, or other civil officer: a House accusation and a Senate trial
Recess Appointments
The President's constitutional power to fill vacancies temporarily, without Senate confirmation, when the Senate is in recess
Subpoenas and Contempt of Congress
How Congress compels testimony and documents, and what happens to witnesses who refuse
The Senate Confirmation Process
The path from nomination to confirmation: paperwork, background checks, hearings, committee votes, and the floor
Whistleblower Protections
The federal laws that protect government employees and contractors who report waste, fraud, abuse, or illegal conduct from retaliation, and the channels for making such reports