How Congress Works with Federal Agencies

Once laws are enacted, federal agencies turn them into action — writing rules, enforcing programs, and managing funds. Congress doesn’t step aside; it oversees and guides how those agencies carry out the nation’s laws.

1. The Executive Branch Connection
Agencies are part of the executive branch, responsible for carrying out statutes passed by Congress.
  • Examples include the EPA, FDA, and Department of Defense.
  • Each operates under authority granted by specific laws and appropriations acts.
Agencies execute the law — but Congress defines their mission.
2. Congressional Oversight
Oversight is one of Congress’s most powerful tools.
  • Committees hold hearings to examine how agencies enforce laws and spend funds.
  • Inspectors General and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) provide independent audits and reports.
Oversight ensures accountability, transparency, and lawful conduct.
3. Funding and Appropriations
Agencies depend on Congress for funding.
  • Each year, Congress passes appropriations bills that allocate money to departments and programs.
  • Without appropriations, agencies cannot legally spend public funds.
Congress holds the “power of the purse” — a key check on executive agencies.
4. Rulemaking and Implementation
Agencies translate broad statutory goals into detailed rules and regulations.
  • They follow the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which requires notice-and-comment periods.
  • Congress may later review or revise laws if implementation strays from intent.
This process turns congressional policy into real-world governance.
5. Interactions with Committees
Standing committees maintain long-term relationships with specific agencies.
  • The House Energy and Commerce Committee, for example, oversees the FCC and FDA.
  • These relationships allow consistent policy direction and institutional memory.
6. Why It Matters
The partnership between Congress and federal agencies ensures that democratic control continues after a law’s passage. It keeps the bureaucracy accountable and aligns implementation with the public will.
Congress writes the law, but agencies give it life.
How Congress Works with Federal Agencies – LegiList

How Congress Works with Federal Agencies

Once laws are enacted, federal agencies turn them into action — writing rules, enforcing programs, and managing funds. Congress doesn’t step aside; it oversees and guides how those agencies carry out the nation’s laws.

1. The Executive Branch Connection
Agencies are part of the executive branch, responsible for carrying out statutes passed by Congress.
  • Examples include the EPA, FDA, and Department of Defense.
  • Each operates under authority granted by specific laws and appropriations acts.
Agencies execute the law — but Congress defines their mission.
2. Congressional Oversight
Oversight is one of Congress’s most powerful tools.
  • Committees hold hearings to examine how agencies enforce laws and spend funds.
  • Inspectors General and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) provide independent audits and reports.
Oversight ensures accountability, transparency, and lawful conduct.
3. Funding and Appropriations
Agencies depend on Congress for funding.
  • Each year, Congress passes appropriations bills that allocate money to departments and programs.
  • Without appropriations, agencies cannot legally spend public funds.
Congress holds the “power of the purse” — a key check on executive agencies.
4. Rulemaking and Implementation
Agencies translate broad statutory goals into detailed rules and regulations.
  • They follow the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which requires notice-and-comment periods.
  • Congress may later review or revise laws if implementation strays from intent.
This process turns congressional policy into real-world governance.
5. Interactions with Committees
Standing committees maintain long-term relationships with specific agencies.
  • The House Energy and Commerce Committee, for example, oversees the FCC and FDA.
  • These relationships allow consistent policy direction and institutional memory.
6. Why It Matters
The partnership between Congress and federal agencies ensures that democratic control continues after a law’s passage. It keeps the bureaucracy accountable and aligns implementation with the public will.
Congress writes the law, but agencies give it life.