# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
The U.S. congress makes laws that influence our daily lives. It serves as the voice of the people and the states in the federal government.

# data[].attributes.body
Congress has only those powers granted to it by the constitution, however, there are few things they are NOT able to do.... such as:

1. create a national public system
2. confiscate all handguns
3. set a minimun age for marriage or drivers license
4. require people to vote
5. abolish jury trial
6. authorize censorship of newspapers or radio or television broadcast

Could thing be because they don't want congress to force things upon people and think they are ruler of everything or go to the extent of overdoing things?

# data[].attributes.body
Congress
- Makes laws
Anyone elected from either house of the congress can propose a new law.
- Declare wars
Congress holds the sole power to declare war.
- Impeach officers
Any officer may be removed from Office on Impeachment for Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
- Raise and Provide public money
The framers were unanimous that Congress should be in control of public funds, not the President or executive branch agencies.
- Approve treaties
The Constitution gives to the Senate the sole power to approve treaties negotiated by the executive branch.

# data[].attributes.body
video 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R_u455AOAU

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is Congress Anyway? | SPARK Episode 1

# data[].attributes.body
Article 1
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-10-25/democrats-inch-closer-to-deal-on-massive-social-spending-plan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Democrats say they're getting closer to clinching a deal on their massive social spending plan, one that seeks to bring together warring factions of the party and help deliver on President Joe Biden's two-part economic agenda.

The White House and congressional leaders are working on firming up the final details and spending cuts with two key holdouts in the Senate and to reach a framework that'll appease both the progressive and moderate wings of the party. Democrats need to greatly downsize their bill which could end up in the $1.5 trillion to $1.9 trillion range. While making concessions on party priorities has been largely contentious, Democrats believe they're closer than ever to a compromise on legislation that'll deliver benefits for parents, children, families and seniors.

If they can settle on a framework this week, Democrats plan to promptly hold a vote on the trillion-dollar bipartisan infrastructure bill that has stalled in the House. Last month, progressives banded together and withheld their support for the bipartisan legislation until getting commitments from Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona on the Democrat-only social safety net package. Because they're using the budget reconciliation process to pass the spending bill with a simple majority and no GOP votes, all 50 Senate Democrats need to vote for it.

Political Cartoons

After a weekend trip to Delaware to continue negotiations on the reconciliation bill, known as the Build Back Better Act, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Democrats are "on track" to reach a deal. He met with Biden and Manchin on Sunday and is consistently speaking with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and rank-and-file members. Schumer told reporters at the Capitol they need to keep working on "three or four outstanding issues," but he noted much of the reconciliation bill is already written.

"No one ever said passing transformational legislation like this would be easy, but we are on track to get this done," Schumer said Monday afternoon from the Senate floor. "Because it's so important and it is what the American people need and what they want."

"The progress of last week illustrated if we stick together, work towards finding that legislative sweet spot, then we can get big things done for the American people," he added.

Before departing for New Jersey on Monday morning, Biden said he wants to secure a deal before he travels abroad to attend a United Nations climate change conference in Scotland starting next week. The president has been traveling around the country to tout both pieces of his agenda - the bipartisan bill and the reconciliation legislation - especially with two high-stakes governors' elections next Tuesday, particularly in Virginia. Some Democrats have urged the party to immediately take up the bipartisan infrastructure bill as a boost to former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who is seeking a second term but is in a tight race with Republican businessman Glenn Youngkin despite Virginia's Democratic streak in recent elections.

"It would be very, very positive to get it done before the trip," Biden told reporters, referring to his foreign trip that begins on Thursday.

Since Democrats' initial $3.5 trillion bill will likely be at least slashed in half, some programs have been completely taken out - like tuition-free community college for two years. Others will be scaled back - like the child tax credit, which will now only get a one-year extension. And the fate of some programs are still unknown - like paid family and medical leave and expanded Medicare benefits. But other key provisions may remain unscathed - like universal pre-kindergarten.

Plus, Democrats are still finalizing the tax portion of their bill that'll pay for the years of new spending. After Sinema's objections, the party will no longer rely on increasing corporate and individual tax rates with large corporations and wealthier Americans.

While the timeline for a deal and an infrastructure vote are still a bit murky and hurdles still exist, Democrats voiced confidence over the weekend and again on Monday that they can get there within a matter of days.

Democrats set a new deadline of securing a framework for the reconciliation bill and passing bipartisan infrastructure legislation by Oct. 31 since surface transportation funding runs out. But if they blow past the deadline for a second time, they're likely to pass a short-term extension again to give them more time.

Manchin appeared optimistic that a framework could be finalized this week. And while pieces of the reconciliation bill still concern him - like a paid leave program and Medicare and Medicaid expansion - he sounded open to tax ideas to fund the bill, such as a billionaire wealth tax and a minimum tax for corporations, saying he's "open to any type of thing that makes people pay who are not paying now."

At the same time, he still seems committed to his $1.5 trillion top-line spending as others in the party, especially progressives, try to settle on a price tag closer to $2 trillion. But Manchin signaled that Democrats are now in a better spot than they've been in for months.

"I think that we've got a good understanding of each other," Manchin told reporters, "better than we've ever had."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Democrats Inch Closer to Deal on Massive Social Spending Plan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Democrats say they're getting closer to clinching a deal on their massive social spending plan, one that seeks to bring together warring factions of the party and help deliver on President Joe Biden's two-part economic agenda.

# data[].attributes.body
Article 2
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-10-21/house-votes-to-hold-trump-ally-bannon-in-contempt-over-jan-6-committee-subpoena

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
House Democrats voted Thursday to hold former President Donald Trump's ally Stephen Bannon in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to turn over documents and provide testimony related to a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

In a nearly party-line vote, 229-202, the House adopted a resolution for a criminal contempt referral that'll now make its way to the Justice Department. Attorney General Merrick Garland will decide whether to prosecute Bannon for evading a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 select committee, a charge that could lead to fines or jail time.

Nine Republicans broke with their party in support of finding Bannon in contempt, including the two who sit on the select committee, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. Both members voted to impeach Trump earlier this year over his handling of the riots.

Political Cartoons

The Jan. 6 panel has been investigating the deadly attack, what led up to it and if anyone in the Trump administration, including the former president, had any involvement or knowledge. The committee has so far subpoenaed four previous Trump aides, though Bannon wasn't working for the White House at the time. He previously served as White House chief strategist.

While at least two of the other former advisers are so far cooperating, Bannon is leaning on the same argument as Trump: He has executive privileges over his records and testimony. The former president is deploying the strategy over a tranche of White House documents requested by the select committee from the National Archives and Records Administration. President Joe Biden has said he won't assert privileges over the first batch of requested records, prompting Trump to sue the committee and government agency to block their disclosure to Congress.

"Withholding information on the events of that day from the committee is no less than an act of betrayal of the American people and of our constitutional democracy," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said. "The American people need to understand what led to the violent insurrection that sought to overturn our election and led to the deaths of multiple police officers and others."

Republicans encouraged their conference to vote against the resolution, mostly banding together in opposition to the Democrat-led select committee. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California initially appointed five members to serve on the panel, but when Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California vetoed two of them, the GOP leader pulled all nominations and refused participation. Pelosi appointed Cheney and Kinzinger along with seven Democrats.

At a Thursday press conference prior to the vote, McCarthy argued that Bannon should first be able to determine whether his assessment of executive privileges protecting him from handing over documents and offering testimony will legally hold up.

"They're issuing an invalid subpoena. (Bannon) has a right to go to the court to see if he has executive privilege or not. I don't know if he does or not but neither does the committee," McCarthy said. "So they're weakening the power of Congress itself by issuing an invalid subpoena."

While the courts sort out the murky issue of executive privilege, Garland will be tasked with making the final decision on how to handle those in defiance of congressional subpoenas.

"The Department of Justice will do what it always does in such circumstances: We'll apply the facts and the law and make a decision, consistent with the principles of prosecution," Garland said earlier Thursday when he appeared before the House Judiciary Committee.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
House Votes to Hold Trump Ally Bannon in Contempt

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
House Democrats voted Thursday to hold former President Donald Trump's ally Stephen Bannon in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to turn over documents and provide testimony related to a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

# data[].attributes.body
video 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-AKmDgGcXc