Final answer:
Congress controls the federal courts primarily by limiting funds required for enforcing court decisions or by rewriting laws in response to court rulings. Directly overturning Supreme Court decisions is not within Congress's authority, but they can propose constitutional amendments or threaten to restrict the court's jurisdiction.
Step-by-step explanation:
One effective tool that Congress has at its disposal for controlling the federal courts is the power to limit the funds that are necessary to carry out a court ruling. Congress has several checks over the judiciary, including the ability to modify the structure and jurisdiction of the federal courts, the power of the Senate to approve or reject judicial nominees, and the authority to rewrite laws that the courts have declared unconstitutional. However, overriding Supreme Court rulings directly is not within Congress's power. Instead, they may respond to an unfavorable court decision by rewriting the existing law to comply with constitutional guidelines, or by proposing an amendment to the Constitution.
Moreover, Congress can impeach judges, though this is a rare occurrence and usually done for serious breaches of conduct rather than disagreements over judicial rulings. It is important to recognize that while Congress has the power to influence the judiciary by threatening to remove a subject from a court's jurisdiction or by withholding implementation funds, the separation of powers and checks and balances system means that these tools are employed cautiously and sparingly.