How does Congress interact with the federal courts?
The courts review and interpret laws passed by Congress. If the courts strike down a federal law as unconstitutional, or interpret it in a way different from what Congress intended, Congress may come up with a different version of the law. Congress creates federal judgeships and courts. As of 2007, Congress had authorized 179 court of appeals judgeships and 678 district court judgeships and had authorized 352 bankruptcy judgeships and 551 full-time and part-time magistrate judgeships. Congress also controls the types of cases that the federal courts may hear. Through the confirmation process, the Senate decides which of the President’s judicial nominees will become federal judges. Congress can impeach federal judges and remove them from office. Congress sets the budget for the courts. Every year, representatives of the courts testify to Congress about how much money is needed for different kinds of court operations, salaries, and other expenses, and Congress decides how much to allocat
