Salary & Benefits
~ $133,600/year
~ free...office space, parking, staff, trips to home state, and mailing
(franking privilege)
Legal Immunity
~ cannot be arrested while going to work (except in serious cases)
~ cannot be sued for what they say in Congress
~ CAN be expelled for dishonest behavior
~ 2/3 vote of that house of Congress
~ Censure: formal disapproval fro less serious offenses
How Congress Works
~ House of Reps. has many rules, but Senate is less formal (Why does
House need more rules and structure?)
~ Party with more than 1/2 of membership is called the majority party.
~ the other party = minority party
~ Constitution only mentions 3 positions of leadership
1. Speaker of the House
2. VP is Pres. of the Senate
3. President Pro Tempore (Senate)
*all other positions come from necessity and tradition