1. Not all votes of the members present need be recorded in the official journal.
"...the
Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at
the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal." In
other words, if less than one-fifth want to include the actual votes
then they are left out of the official record.
2. Neither House can meet anywhere different without agreement
"Neither
House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of
the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than
that in which the two Houses shall be sitting."
3. A Congressman cannot be arrested for misdemeanors on the way to the Hill
"[Senators
and Representatives] shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and
Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance
at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning
from the same...."
4. Congressmen shall not be questioned for speeches in either House
"...and
for any Speech or Debate in either House, [Congressmen] shall not be
questioned in any other Place." I wonder how many Congressmen have used
that defense on CNN or Fox News.
5. No one can be convicted of treason without two witnesses or confession
"No
Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two
Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court." One
person is not enough.
6. The President can adjourn Congress
"[The
President] may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or
either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect
to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall
think proper." While many people know that the president can call a
special session of Congress, it is less well known that he can actually
adjuorn them if they disagree about when they want to adjourn.
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