United States Constitution: Article 1. The Legislative Branch

Section 4. Elections and Meetings of Congress.

• State legislatures set time, place, and way of holding elections for Representatives and Senators.
• Congress can change these rules except for the place where Senators are elected.
• Congress must meet at least once every year.
• That meeting on the first Monday of December.
• Meeting date changed to January 3 by the 20th Amendment
• Unless Congress makes a law to change the date.

Section 5. Procedural Rules.

• Each Chamber judges the elections, results and qualifications of its members.
• A majority of each Chamber is a quorum to hold a vote.
• A number less than a majority may decide to adjourn for the day.
• Less than a majority of members can force absent members to show up.
• Each Chamber decides its own rules for doing business and disciplining members.
• It takes two-thirds of the members to kick somebody out.
• Each Chamber keeps a journal of its meetings.
• Each vote in both Chambers is recorded in that Chamber's journal if one-fifth of the members agree.
• During a session of Congress, neither Chamber may adjourn for more than 3 days without the other Chamber's permission.
• Both Chambers must meet in the same place.

Section 6. Pay and Privileges

• Legislators are paid for their work
• Salaries are set by law.
• (Amendment 27 says that the members in the current session cannot vote to raise their salaries for that session.)
• Legislators cannot be arrested while working or going back and forth to work, except for a serious crime.
• Legislators cannot be sued or punished for their speeches or debates any place.
• During their term of office, a legislator cannot hold a government job.

Section 7. How Congress makes laws

• All tax bills have to start in the House of Representatives.
• The Senate can suggest changes.
• Either Chamber can propose all other bills.
• Both Chambers have to approve all bills before they go to the President.
• Once a President signs a bill it becomes a law.
• If the President vetoes a law, it is sent back to the Chamber where it started with their objections.
• The President's veto can be overridden by two-thirds vote of each Chamber. 
• If a President doesn't send it back to Congress within ten days, the bill becomes law.
• If Congress is not in session and the President doesn't sign the bill, it doesn't become law. (This is called a pocket veto.)

• Create and collect taxes.
• Borrow money.
• Regulate trade with other nations, between states and with Native Americans.
• Determine citizenship and naturalization.
• Create bankruptcy laws.
• Establish immigration rules.
• Coin and print money and punish counterfeiting.
• Decide the value of weights and measures.
• Establish Post offices and postal routes.
• Protect copyrights and patents.
• Create a Federal Court System.
• Punish piracy.
• Declare war and peace.
• Provide for an army and navy.
• Call out the civilian militia into service.
• Provide rules for the militia.
• Create and govern a federal district for the capital.
• Control all federal properties within a state.
• Any power to exercise the listed powers.

• Congress could not prohibit the importation of slaves until 1808.
• It did have the right to tax states a much as ten dollars per imported person.
• The Writ of Habeas Corpus cannot be taken away, except in cases of rebellion or invasion. (The Writ of Habeas Corpus is a requirement that the government explain to a judge why a person was arrested.)
• A person cannot be punished without a trial.
• A person cannot be convicted of a breaking a law which did not exist when the person committed the act.
• Congress can't tax individuals directly. (Changed by the 16th Amendment.)
• Congress can't tax anything the states export.
• Congress can't favor one state over another.
• Congress can only spend money if it is permitted by law.
• The United States government cannot give out titles of nobility.
• No federal office holder may accept a gift of value from the government of another country without Congressional approval.

• Can't make treaties or alliances with other countries.
• Can't enter into interstate agreements without the approval of Congress.
• Can't print or coin money.
• Issue its own credit.
• Allow payment of debts by anything other than gold or coin.
• Seize private property.
• Pass laws that make someone guilty of a crime after the crime was committed.
• Alter private contracts.
• Award titles of nobility.
• Can't tax imports and exports unless its necessary for inspection purposes.
• Can't tax the cargo of ships.
• Can't fight wars without the approval of Congress.