Crs Report for Congress

In May 2008, Senator and presidential candidate John McCain stated that, as President, he would ask Congress to grant me the privilege of coming before both Houses to take questions and address criticism, much the same as the Prime Minister of Great Britain appears regularly before the House of Commons. Such a question period, in which the chief executive official appears before the legislature to answer questions, is a feature of most parliamentary systems. Prime Ministers Questions is a major component of British politics, receiving substantial press, radio, and television coverage. In many national parliaments, including the British House of Commons, questions are also directed to other Cabinet Ministers, serving as a major form of legislative oversight and constituency service. In the early years of the U.S. government, the President and members of his Cabinet appeared occasionally on the floor of the House and Senate to advise on treaties and to consult on pending legislation. But the practice fell into disfavor as stronger notions of the separation of powers took hold. A variety of proposals have been offered in the 19th and 20th centuries to establish a formal question period in one or both congressional chambers, but no proposal has …