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Benefits & Duties of Members of Congress

Learn about the benefits enjoyed by Congress members and the important duties carried out by their support staff. Explore key concepts and requirements for serving in Congress.

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Benefits & Duties of Members of Congress

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  1. Representing the People C & E

  2. EQs • What benefits do members of Congress enjoy? • What are the duties of congressional support staff members?

  3. Key Terms • Franking privilege • Lobbyist • Casework • Pork-barrel project

  4. Key Concepts • Legislative Branch

  5. The U.S. Capitol in the 1800s

  6. Requirements & Benefits of Congress • Must live in state they represent • House members usually live in district, but not required • Senators must be 30 yrs old • Reps must be 25 yrs old • Senators must have been citizens for 9 yrs • Reps must have been citizens for 7 yrs

  7. Requirements & Benefits of Congress • Most members have college degrees • ~1/2 are lawyers • Salary of $150,000/yr • Free office space & trips home to state • Franking privilege for free. • they may send job-related mail for free • Granted immunity (legal protection) in certain situations • Cannot break the law

  8. What are some benefits that members of Congress enjoy? Along with their $150,000 salary, members of Congress receive free office space, parking, and trips to their home states. They have franking privileges and immunity in some situations. They have low-cost life insurance and use of a gymnasium, special restaurants, and a medical clinic.

  9. Congressional Staff: Behind-the-scenes Helpers • Personal staff to run office • Gather info on issues, arrange meetings, write speeches • Handle requests from voters • Deal w/ reporters & lobbyists • People hired by private groups to influence gov’t decision makers • Works for member’s reelection on their own time

  10. Congressional Staff: Behind-the-scenes Helpers • Hire students from home state to serve as pages or interns • Interns help w/ research or office duties • Pages deliver messages or run errands • Committee staffs generally have expert knowledge about special topics, such as taxes or defense.

  11. Congressional Staff: Behind-the-scenes Helpers • Library of Congress provides info to staffs & members • Library’s Congressional Research Service looks up details for & against bills • General Accounting Office • reviews spending activities of federal agencies • studies programs • recommends ways to spend taxpayers’ dollars wisely.

  12. Congressional Staff: Behind-the-scenes Helpers • Congressional Budget Office • provides info & analyses to help Congress create a budget • Estimates cost & effectiveness of programs

  13. How could you benefit from serving as a congressional intern or page? • This experience gives young people a firsthand look at the political process.

  14. Members of Congress @ Work • Sessions begin Jan. 3 • By representing constituents, have 3 major jobs • Make laws • Introduce bills, work on committees • Listen to input for/agnst bills • vote

  15. Members of Congress @ Work • Casework • troubleshoot for people from district/state who request help in deal’g w/ fed gov’t • Protect interests of state/district • Ex: a senator from a state with strong timber industries might seek to influence logging policies.

  16. Members of Congress @ Work • Helping the District or State • Work to gain share of gov’t spend’g for constituents • Gov’t contracts can bring $$$ or jobs to district/state • Pork-barrel projects • Gov’t projects & grants that primarily benefit district/state

  17. What kinds of casework problems do congressional staffs solve? Most problems constituents have involve the government bureaucracy. The staffs handle problems such as a Social Security check that doesn’t arrive or a veteran’s claim that is held up.

  18. Assessment B __ 1. representatives of interest groups who contact lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making __ 2. government projects and grants that primarily benefit the home district or state __ 3. the work that a lawmaker does to help constituents with a problem __ 4. the right of senators and representatives to send job-related mail without paying postage A. franking privilege B. lobbyist C. casework D. pork-barrel projects D C A

  19. interns Personal staff (aides) pages Congressional Staff/Agencies Committee staff Library of Congress Congressional agencies

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