The United States government makes policy decisions, and the executive branch, including the president and Congress, is responsible for deciding which ideals to support on foreign policy issues.
Congress controls the purse strings, so it has a significant influence on all kinds of federal issues-Including foreign policy. Most important is the oversight role played by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Committee on Foreign Relations.
House and Senate comments
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee plays a special role in the game because the Senate must approve all contracts and nominations for foreign policy postings and make decisions about legislation in the foreign policy area.
The in-depth questioning of a nomination by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be Secretary of State. Members of that committee have great influence over how US foreign policy is conducted and represent the United States to the world.
The House of Commons has less authority abroad, but it still plays an important role in passing foreign budgets and scrutinizing how the money is spent. Members of the Senate and House often travel abroad on data-finding missions to places important to the U.S. National interest.
War Powers
Arguably, the most important authority granted to Congress is the power to declare war and to raise and support the armed forces.
The authority is given in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 of the US Constitution.
But it has always been characterized by a tension between Congress and the President’s constitutional role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, armed with the power of Congress, according to the Constitution.
It reached a boiling point in 1973 due to the chaos and division caused by the Vietnam war when Congress passed the controversial War Powers Act at the behest of President Richard Nixon. They are in armed action and how the President can take military action and still keep Congress in the loop.
After the passage of the War Powers Act, presidents saw it as an unconstitutional encroachment on their executive powers, the Law Library of Congress reports, and the controversy remained fraught.
Congress, more than any other branch of the federal government, is the place where special interests come to address their issues. And it creates a large lobbying and Policy-Making industry, most of which focuses on foreign affairs.
The US is concerned about Cuba, agricultural imports, human rights, global climate change, immigration, and many other issues, to influence members of the House and Senate on legislation and budget decisions.
