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Concurrent resolutions are used by both houses of Congress to express opinions or create/amend rules. They have no statutory authority and do not require presidential approval. They are used for joint sessions, administrative matters, and expressing opinions on policy. The practice of legislative vetoes through concurrent resolutions ended in 1983.
A simultaneous resolution is a legislative method typically used by both houses of the United States Congress to express an opinion on a matter or to create or amend rules that apply to both houses. Concurrent resolutions have no statutory authority and do not need to be approved by the president. Both houses of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, must pass the resolution before it passes. Such resolutions are reported in the bill either as H.Con.Res., if they come from the House, or S.Con.Res., if they come from the Senate.
A concurrent resolution should not be confused with joint resolutions or bills, which require the approval of the president and have the force of law. Concurrent resolutions have no force of law because they are not approved by the president. They simply apply to congressional matters or express a collective opinion.
Convening joint sessions is one case where a concurrent resolution is used. Joint sessions are commonly held to hear the President’s State of the Union Address and other messages from the President. Congress will also adopt a concurrent resolution on administrative matters such as creating joint committees, authorizing printing of congressional documents, or setting a congressional adjournment date.
These resolutions are also used when requiring the president to return a bill before it is vetoed or signed. Some of the many other functions of competing resolutions are initiating the budget process, creating temporary joint committees, and suspending or adjusting the legislature for more than three days. If both houses of Congress censure the president, it is considered a concurrent resolution.
When Congress wants to express its opinion on foreign or domestic policy, it will use a concurrent resolution. For example, if Congress wanted to congratulate a country on the anniversary of its independence, it would issue a concurrent resolution. Another example of Congress communicating its sentiments with simultaneous resolutions is when it congratulates professional teams on winning championships.
There was a time after the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal when Congress wanted to limit the power of the executive branch. Congress has begun using concurrent resolutions to override presidential vetoes. This action was called a legislative veto. The practice of legislative vetoes through the use of concurrent resolutions, however, ended with the case of Immigration and Naturalization Services v. Chadha of the Supreme Court in 1983.
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