What are the implied powers of Congress? The Constitution gives Congress a number of expressed powers in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. There are a large number of expressed powers of Congress. These powers include the following:
Declare war
Levy taxes
Regulate commerce
Mint currency
Control immigrationEstablish bankrupt legislation
Punish counterfeiters
Create a national post office
Provide patents
Organize federal courts (except the Supreme Court)
Raise armies
Govern Washington, D.C.
Acquire lands for federal use
Enact the Necessary and Proper Clause
In addition to these expressed powers, the United States Congress has established its implied power to do the following:
Create a national bank
Establish a federal minimum wage
Establish a military draft
Create gun control laws in some cases
The use of Congress's implied powers is often controversial and sometimes requires the Supreme Court to decide whether Congress is within its legal rights to act.