<P> The Treaty Clause is part of Article II, Section 2, Clause 2, of the United States Constitution, that empowers the President of the United States to propose and chiefly negotiate agreements between the United States and other countries, which, upon receiving the advice and consent of a two - thirds supermajority vote of the United States Senate, become treaties under international law . </P> <P> (The President) shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur...</P> <P> The body of law governing U.S. foreign policy recognizes three mechanisms by which the United States enters into binding international obligations . The term "treaty" is used in a more restricted legal sense than in international law . U.S. law distinguishes what it calls treaties from congressional - executive agreements and executive agreements . All three classes are considered treaties under international law; they are distinct only from the perspective of internal United States law . Distinctions among the three concern their method of ratification: by two - thirds of the Senate, by normal legislative process, or by the President alone, respectively . The Treaty Clause empowers the President to make or enter into treaties with the "advice and consent" of two - thirds of the Senate . In contrast, normal legislation becomes law after approval by simple majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and the signature of the President . </P> <P> Throughout American history, presidents have also made international agreements through congressional - executive agreements, that are ratified with only a majority from both houses of Congress, or executive agreements, made by the President--in the exercise of his Constitutional executive powers--alone . Though the Constitution does not expressly provide for any alternative to the Article II treaty procedure, Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution does distinguish between treaties (which states are forbidden to make) and agreements (which states may make with the consent of Congress). The Supreme Court has considered congressional - executive and executive agreements to be valid, and they have been common throughout American history . Thomas Jefferson explained that the Article II treaty procedure is not necessary when there is no long - term commitment: </P>

What kinds of treaties can the president make