Laws

• Congress consists of two branches: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Their major duty is to make laws, such as bankruptcy, naturalization and foreign policy laws, that pertain to and affect every citizen in the country. Before a law is voted on, Congress must create legislation called a bill. Once the House approves a bill, then it moves to the Senate. A bill can also start in both branches of Congress. After both branches of Congress approve the bill, it moves to the president's desk, where it is signed into law.
  
  

War

• Although the president is the commander in chief over the armed forces, Congress is responsible for actually declaring war. The legislative branch does have the duty, but it can't just declare war on any country spontaneously. Both branches of Congress must approve and the president's signature is required to approve the war declaration.
  
  

Money

• Congress has many duties pertaining to the country's money. For instance, Congress has the duty to make and print money. In addition, Congress has the duty to collect taxes and pay debts. Another duty is creating a spending budget for the country. This means it must appropriate funds to different departments such as the U.S. Department of Defense for the military and the U.S. Department of Education. Also, Congress decides whether to borrow money from another country and raise the country's debt limit.
  
  

Considerations

• An important duty Congress has is overriding any of the president's vetoes. The president can prevent any legislation that Congress approves, which prevents the bill from becoming law. However, when Congress has at least two-thirds of its members votes, then the legislative branch of the government can override the president's decision. This means that the bill becomes law no matter what the president decides.