Congressional hearings

[taurusowner]

Maybe I'm just a total moron with this stuff, but can someone please explain to me what basis there is for Congressional Hearings on just about everything?  Toyota's executives, the almost yearly grilling of oil executives, even MLB steroid use.  It seems every time something big anywhere happens, Congress calls some people up to testify in front of them.  But what basis do they have to do so?  What authority do they have to investigate baseball players using steroids or anything else for that matter?

[HankB]

What authority do they have to investigate baseball players using steroids or anything else for that matter?

My guess is they passed a law that said they could, and a previous President apparently - and foolishly - signed it.

As for the specific example given, baseball players are just entertainers - nothing they do really matters to the rest of us, and I DON'T CARE if they used steroids. On the other hand, I'd rather the Congress investigated Presidents who admitted to smoking dope and snorting coke . . . what they do DOES matter.

[AZRedhawk44]

Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution.

Section 8 - Powers of Congress
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to
pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United
States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the
Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of
Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of
Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the
United States;
To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to
Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses
against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning
Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a
longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress
Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such
Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the
States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the
Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not
exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance
of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise
like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in
which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and
other needful Buildings; And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the
foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of
the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

[longeyes]

It isn't just baseball players who are entertainers.

The people in Congress know a good courtroom drama when they see one.  It's a photo opp, a sound byte and video byte occasion, free publicity.