As a fellow citizen, I know you are going to LOVE the first part of Article I § 6. The Senators and Representatives are paid for their service from the Treasury as determined by law. And who makes the law? They do, of course! When I read that I realized why they were able to give themselves such huge pay raises so frequently. They set their on compensation and they must because the Constitution says so. Isn’t that great!
Gimme a minute to collect my thoughts…
Ok. Moving on. While in session or while traveling to or from session, members of Congress are not allowed to be arrested except in cases of treason, felony, or breach of the peace. However, they may still be served in civil and criminal cases. This privilege only applies to arrests.
They also cannot be charged for anything they say in a speech or during debate in either house. This allows Members to speak freely without fear of reprisal. This protection also extends to committee reports, resolutions, and the act of voting on congressional business. As long as the Member was acting in a legitimate legislative activity, they won’t have to worry about litigation as a result of something they said.
Section 6 prohibits a Senator or Representative from being appointed during their time of service to any other civil office that is under the United States’ authority and which they have be involved in creating or improving the benefits of. In other words, while they are serving in either house, they may not resign their position to take a job which they helped create or increased the pay of. The effect is to prevent them from voting to create a better paying job in hopes of getting that job.
This section also excludes anyone having another office under the US’s authority from serving in either house. This exclusion is in place to maintain the integrity of each of the three branches of government.
Next: Passing Acts of Congress
