House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is a population based representation. The states with a greater population have more members. Because the House of Representatives does not have a set maximum number of people for every state, it is less prestigious than the Senate. There are many rules that the House has which the Senate does not. These rules are to control the House because there are 435 members of the House. If the rules were not in place then there would be chaos. An example of these rules is when a representative has the floor they can only have the floor for a limited amount of time and their props are limited by size.
Requirements
To serve the two year term that each Representative earns in the House, one must meet the following requirements.
- Must be at least 25 years of age
- Must be a U.S. citizen for at least seven years
- Must be a resident of the state which they are going to represent
Salary and Benefits
Every member of Congress makes around $176,000 per year. Congress sets their own salary. Some of the benefits are the private gym membership, the discounted haircuts, subsidized dinning, and free medical care. Congress receives a retirement plan of around $46,800 per year. Members of Congress are given free travel home and abroad and have a full staff paid for by tax payers, Representatives in the House have 30 staff members on average. Congressmen cannot be arrested at, going to, nor coming home from work and they cannot be sued for what they say in Congress. Members of Congress also have the franking privilege, this privilege allows for members of Congress to send mail without having to pay a postage fee.
Leadership in the House
Speaker of the House/Majority Leader
John Boehner(R, Ohio)
Majority/Minority Leader
The majority leader and minority leader are the spokespersons for their party in the House. The majority leader is the Speaker of the House.
Majority/Minority Whip
The majority and minority whip ensure that members of their party vote the way their party wants them.