Why Do You Want To Become A Member Of Congress

Chapter 12 Reading Guide: Congress
1. Three reasons someone would want to become a member of congress are power, money, and retirement benefits. 1) Being a member of congress gives you a louder voice then the average citizens when it comes to making changes in our country. For example, only a direct member of congress can formally submit a bill, even though anyone can draft one. 2) Members of congress also get paid about $174,000 a year, which is far higher than the average salary in America. 3) Members of congress are also eligible for pension as well after serving 5 years in the House or Senate, which greatly helps their retirement situations.
2. Because an incumbent already holds office, it is extremely difficult to beat them in a campaign. They have advantages over others running because 1) the general people already know how the certain representative operates in relation to their town, state, congress, etc. 2) Voters know how their elected representatives vote on important policy issues and many come to agree with their stands,

The House Rules Committee acts like a “traffic cop” in that it gives each bill “a rule” which schedules the bill on the calendar, allots time for debate, and sometimes even specifies what kind of amendments may be offered.
4. Three similarities between the House of Representatives and the Senate are that they 1) set their own agendas, 2) use committees, and 3) pass bills. Three differences between the House and the Senate are that 1) the House is four times bigger, 2) the Senate is less disciplined and less centralized, and 3) the Senate has the power to filibuster.
5. The Speaker of the House has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed the presidency if the situation occurs. The speaker supervises over the House when it is in session, helps make important committee assignments, appoints party legislative leaders, and exercises substantial control over which bills get assigned to which