•What are the President’s major judicial powers?
Legislative Powers
Recommending Legislation
•The Constitution provides that the President shall report to Congress on the state of the Union and recommend necessary legislation.
•This power is often called the message power.
The Veto Power
•All legislation passed by Congress is sent to the President for approval.
•If the President disapproves of a bill, he can veto it. That veto can only be overturned by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress.
The Line Item Veto
•A line-item veto measure would allow the President to reject specific dollar amounts in spending bills enacted by Congress.
•In 1996, Congress passed the Line Item Veto Act; however, it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1998.
Other Legislative Powers
•According to Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, only the President can call a Congress into special session.
Judicial Powers
•The Constitution gives the President the power to “...grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.” —Article II, Section 2, Clause 1
•A reprieve is the postponement of the execution of a sentence.
•A pardon is legal forgiveness for a crime.
•These powers of clemency (mercy or leniency) may be used only in cases of federal crimes.
**In class video on how a Bill becomes a Law http://beta.congress.gov/legislative-process
Review Questions:
The President CANNOT exercise judicial power by
a. granting amnesty to a group of law violators.
b. reducing the length of a sentence.
c. granting pardons in cases of impeachment.
d. postponing the carrying out of a sentence.
Upon receipt of a bill, the President can take all of the following actions EXCEPT
a. call on a special session of congressional committees to revise the bill.
b. veto the bill.
c. decide to neither sign nor veto the bill, allowing it to become a law.
d. sign the bill to make it a law.
The President's power to grant pardons
a. may be overridden by the Senate.
b. applies to cases involving federal and State offenses.
c. may be used in cases of impeachment.
d. can be used before a person is charged with a crime.
ANSWERS: C / A / D