[sheikhnbake]

The only power congress theoretically has to impact the administration is that of the purse.

But the admin has repeatedly ignored such restrictions. This check on power also loses it's teeth when the oligarchs align themselves behind the executive branch.

[everdrive]

That's not true at all, they could:

- impeach

- pass new laws / revise old laws

- hold real hearings

- amend the constitution

Now practically will this congress do so? No, but in principle they wield more power than the executive.

[sheikhnbake]

In the context of the current admin:

- They have impeached already, multiple times.

- Congress has no means of enforcing any laws they pass aside from trying to withhold funding.

- Hearings are political circus at best with no real consequences. See: 0 US based Epstein abusers in any form of incarceration.

- ah yes, amending the constitution. a very realistic and responsive option

Since none of these are practical, then congress wields no practical power. In principle and technicalities are useless. Even if the dems were able to take a progressive super majority, unless they passed a law granting congress law enforcement powers w/ funding they're declawed.

[everdrive]

I don't disagree with you, and I think you might have misunderstood me. I think Congress could start clawing these back, but I agree, right now they have no effective power, which is why I called them a "eunuch congress."

[sheikhnbake]

Perhaps that's where we would disagree. I don't think congress has the means to claw anything back at this point or in the future. We're essentially well into a self-coup

[xnx]

They can also impeach

[sheikhnbake]

They have impeached already, multiple times.

[daheza]

During his last term yes, during this term no they haven't. They could at least be pushing for this, there's a few republicans on the out of Trumps circle, maybe they could make some movement. Instead they sit around and do nothing, letting the crimes take place with no attempt to even declare it as wrong.

[sheikhnbake]

Every day is an endless stream of media and commentary on the illegal things he's doing with no accountability. Even in the highly unlikely event of an impeachment conviction, I don't see how that changes anything from a practical standpoint. The DoJ isn't going to enforce the conviction, and military leadership has steadily been replaced with yes-people since the admin took office.