What is the primary responsibility of a member of Congress?

Answer 1

Not every Representative and Senator has exactly the same goals. Also, goals can change dramatically in times of crisis or intense political pressure. Finally, the goals that Members of Congress demonstrate by their actions are not always the same goals that they profess on the campaign trail or in media statements.

That said, I would guess that the top 3 goals for most members of the present Congress are

1. Get re-elected

2. Support the agenda of their political party

3. Try to capture as much Federal Government money as possible for projects in their home district (this money is colloquially called "pork", and the process of capturing it is called "pork barrel" politics)

Three goals that I wish that I could see instead are

1. Legislate in the best interests of the nation's future, not just reacting to short-term events

2. Legislate in the best interests of the majority of the American people instead of the interests of wealthy and politically-supportive special interests. (One way of reducing the impact of "pork" and other special interest political spending would be to give the President the power of Line Item Veto, which allows the President to approve legislative provisions of national significance, and to say "no" to "pork" that has been tacked onto the legislation.)

3. Stick to legislating topics of truly national significance, and let the States deal with the majority of domestic needs as the Constitution stipulates. (One way of keeping the Federal government from trying to micromanage the country would be to limit the Federal government's use of "Interstate Commerce" as a justification for intruding into matters that should be States' Rights under the Constitution.)

Answer 2

The main purpose of Congress is to create the laws for the country. A congressman thus needs to study and figure what new laws are needed and what old laws need to be rescinded. He may need to write new proposed laws or join with other congressmen to write and propose them. He needs to study new laws that have been proposed, debate them and finally vote on them.

Answer 3

The primary job of the congress is to create new laws.
The primary duty of Congress is to share power with the President in passing laws.

Answer 4

To get re-elected.

Answer 5

to make laws for the country