act of Congress

From the literal sense of act (“legislation”) enacted by US Congress.

• "Does it take an act of Congress just to get a stop sign on a corner?"
• "Should Frederick stick around — and apparently it would take an act of Congress to get him out of the ICU — he might take up where Molly had brutally left off."
• "Since it seemed like getting a glass of wine was going to require an act of Congress, I quickly agreed."
• "Another problem was bureaucratic: the transfer of the ship required, literally, an act of Congress. It was an agonizing process that ground along for twenty-six months, through the tenures of three secretaries of the navy, two presidents, and two mayors of New York."