Manuel Prado addresses joint session of Congress, 1961
USCIS Civics · Question 20 of 128✶ 65/20

Name one power of the U.S. Congress.

Official Answer

Writes laws

Also accepted: Declares war · Makes the federal budget

In plain English

One power of Congress is to write laws. Congress has other big powers too. Only Congress can declare war. Congress also makes the federal budget — it decides how the government spends money. Remember one power of the U.S. Congress: it writes laws.

From the archives

Manuel Prado addresses joint session of Congress, 1961
Manuel Prado addresses joint session of Congress, 1961Associated Press Wirephoto, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Image: Manuel Prado addresses joint session of Congress, 1961 — Associated Press Wirephoto, via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.Answers verbatim from USCIS M-1778 (09/25)