Question

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the USA FREEDOM Act, a bipartisan bill to reform the controversial domestic surveillance programs. The passage of this legislation is the result of strong bipartisan negotiations to strike a balance in order to protect American citizens' rights without dealing a blow to lawful and warranted surveillance efforts. Mr. Speaker, Congress did not intend for any law to authorize the indiscriminate collection of personal information from Americans. The USA FREEDOM Act will help end government overreach, while ensuring intelligence agencies have the tools at their disposal to lawfully pursue suspected terrorists in efforts to protect all Americans. As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, I applaud the Judiciary Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for working together to write a bill that strikes a balance to protect our constitutional rights without compromising our national security. —Glenn Thompson, U.S. Representative (R) from Pennsylvania, May 14, 2015 Source: Congress.gov Describe an action Congress could take to address the issues outlined in the excerpt. In the context of this excerpt, explain how the use of congressional power described in part A can be affected by its interaction with the president. In the context of this excerpt, explain how the interaction between Congress and the presidency explained in part B can be affected by linkage institutions.

Answer 1

An action Congress could take to address the issues outlined in the excerpt is to pass the USA FREEDOM Act, which reforms domestic surveillance programs. This bill would help end government overreach while ensuring intelligence agencies have the tools to lawfully pursue suspected terrorists.

The use of congressional power described in the excerpt can be affected by its interaction with the president. If the president disagrees with the bill and vetoes it, Congress would need a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to override the veto and pass the bill into law. Additionally, if the president supports the bill, he can sign it into law, which would make it effective and enforceable.

The interaction between Congress and the presidency explained in part B can be affected by linkage institutions. These institutions, such as interest groups, the media, and political parties, can influence the relationship between Congress and the presidency by shaping public opinion and mobilizing support for or against the bill. For example, if interest groups that support the USA FREEDOM Act are able to mobilize public support and pressure Congress to pass the bill, this could increase the likelihood that the president will sign it into law. Conversely, if interest groups that oppose the bill are able to mobilize public opposition and pressure Congress to vote against it, this could decrease the likelihood that the president will sign it into law.