<P> From 1970 to 2009, the House expanded delegates, along with their powers and privileges representing U.S. citizens in non-state areas, beginning with representation on committees for Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner in 1970 . In 1971, a delegate for the District of Columbia was authorized, and in 1972 new delegate positions were established for U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. 1978 saw an additional delegate for American Samoa, and another for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands began in 2009 . These six Members of Congress enjoy floor privileges to introduce bills and resolutions, and in recent congresses they vote in permanent and select committees, in party caucuses and in joint conferences with the Senate . They have Capitol Hill offices, staff and two annual appointments to each of the four military academies . While their votes are constitutional when Congress authorizes their House Committee of the Whole votes, recent Congresses have not allowed for that, and they cannot vote when the House is meeting as the House of Representatives . </P> <P> In the late 20th century, the media became more important in Congress's work . Analyst Michael Schudson suggested that greater publicity undermined the power of political parties and caused "more roads to open up in Congress for individual representatives to influence decisions". Norman Ornstein suggested that media prominence led to a greater emphasis on the negative and sensational side of Congress, and referred to this as the tabloidization of media coverage . Others saw pressure to squeeze a political position into a thirty - second soundbite . A report characterized Congress in 2013 as being unproductive, gridlocked, and "setting records for futility". In October 2013, with Congress unable to compromise, the government was shut down for several weeks and risked a serious default on debt payments, causing 60% of the public to say they would "fire every member of Congress" including their own representative . One report suggested Congress posed the "biggest risk to the US economy" because of its brinksmanship, "down - to - the - wire budget and debt crises" and "indiscriminate spending cuts", resulting in slowed economic activity and keeping up to two million people unemployed . There has been increasing public dissatisfaction with Congress, with extremely low approval ratings which dropped to 5% in October 2013 . </P> <P> Article I of the Constitution creates and sets forth the structure and most of the powers of Congress . Sections One through Six describe how Congress is elected and gives each House the power to create its own structure . Section Seven lays out the process for creating laws, and Section Eight enumerates numerous powers . Section Nine is a list of powers Congress does not have, and Section Ten enumerates powers of the state, some of which may only be granted by Congress . Constitutional amendments have granted Congress additional powers . Congress also has implied powers derived from the Constitution's Necessary and Proper Clause . </P> <P> Congress has authority over financial and budgetary policy through the enumerated 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". There is vast authority over budgets, although analyst Eric Patashnik suggested that much of Congress's power to manage the budget has been lost when the welfare state expanded since "entitlements were institutionally detached from Congress's ordinary legislative routine and rhythm". Another factor leading to less control over the budget was a Keynesian belief that balanced budgets were unnecessary . </P>

Where are the bulk of congress' powers found