CONGRESSIONAL-EXECUTIVE AGREEMENT
An accord made by joint authority of the Congress
and the president covering areas of INTERNATIONAL
LAW that are not within the ambit of
treaties.
A congressional-executive agreement comes
about in different ways. Congress may authorize
the president to conclude a particular agreement
already negotiated, as when a multilateral agreement
establishes an international organization
such as the INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND.
Congress sometimes has approved presidential
agreements by legislation or appropriation of
funds to carry out its obligations.
It is now widely accepted that a congressional-
executive agreement is a complete alternative
to a treaty: the president can seek
approval of any agreement by joint resolution of both Houses of Congress instead of by a twothirds vote of the Senate alone. Like a treaty,
such an agreement is the law of the land, superseding
inconsistent state laws as well as inconsistent
provisions in earlier treaties, other
international agreements, or acts of Congress.
