Senate
The Senate is the body of Congress that provides equal representation between states. Every state in the U.S. has two senators. The Senate is more prestigious because it is limited to two representatives per state which totals only 100 representatives which is a more competitive job than one of the 435 representatives in the House. The rules are less limiting in the Senate. The Senate is where filibusters can take place, where the senator can stand talking on something he believes as long as the senator wants. The restrictions on a filibuster are as follows, the senator must remain standing without leaning against anything and continue talking. Otherwise the filibuster is over. A filibuster is used to take up time on a bill and prevent it from passing through the Senate. This technique can be used in the Senate because the rules do not restrict the Senators like they do the representatives in the House.
Requirements
To serve the six year term that each Senator earns in the Senate, one must meet the following requirements.
- Must be at least 30 years of age
- Must be a U.S. citizen for at least nine 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, Senators have 60 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 Senate
President of the Senate
The Vice President, Joe Biden (D, Delaware), is the President of the Senate. The Vice President only votes in the case of a tie.
President Pro Tempore
The longest serving member of the majority party, Daniel Inouye (D, Hawaii), is the President Pro Tempore. He is the President of the Senate when the Vice President is absent.
Majority/Minority Leader
The majority leader and minority leader are the spokespersons for their party in the Senate.
