Congress finds it painful to discipline its own members. Seeking to maintain alliances on so many different issues and to remain on good terms with each other, legislators prefer not to question their colleagues' ethics. They prefer to leave such judgments to the voters in the next election. But pressure from the press and public outrage over alleged misconduct often force the House or the Senate to act.
The Constitution permits each house to punish its own members for disorderly behavior. The most serious offenses can result in expulsion: a member can be expelled by a two-thirds vote. Alternatively, the Senate or House can censure (rebuke) a member by a majority vote. For lesser offenses, members may simply be reprimanded. The House has a Committee of Standards of Official Conduct, and the Senate a Select Committee on Ethics, which monitor the activities of members and staff and advise them on compliance with the rules and laws affecting behavior, ethics, and finances.
See also Censure; Ethics; Expulsion from Congress; Impeachment; Scandals, congressional
