Could somebody please explain this constitutional clause?
Joe Republic:
Article II
Section 3 - State of the Union, Convening Congress
(The President) shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.
What exactly defines an 'extraordinary Occasion', or a 'Case of Disagreement'?
Yates:
Extraordinary occasion could be F.D.R. convening both houses after Pearl Harbor. Disagreement, I assume, means if the Congress objects to being convened. I will check that one.
By the way, I am now a YaBB God.
A18:
'Extraordinary occasion' is whatever the president wants it to be. I am aware of no case law on the subject, but a special session has been called 27 times.
A case of disagreement is just whenever the two houses can't agree on when to adjourn. I don't know what you don't understand about that.
Emsworth:
There is no legal definition for the term "extraordinary Occasion." As A18 suggests, it means whatever a President wants it to mean. The gist of the clause is: if Congress is not in session, then the President may call them into special session if he deems it necessary.
To address the other question: The agreement of both the Senate and the House is necessary to adjourn, i.e., to bring a congressional session to an end. If the two houses cannot agree on the time for ending a session ("the Time of Adjournment"), then the President resolves the disagreement.
minionofmidas:
It says, "he can adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper". I suppose that doesn't mean in legalese what it sounds like ... since your explanation makes logical sense and what it sounds like does not.
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