Congress and Reelection

This article is used inthe powerpoint on Congress: Institutional Structure and Functions. We assume a member of congress wants reelection. How do they rig the institution to allow that?

Lawmakers get out of the House

By Kathy Kiely
USA TODAY

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Members of Congress are taking an entire week off for St. Patrick's Day. It's the latest scheduling innovation to give members more time to meet with constituents.
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During the first two months of the year, House members logged a total of 47 hours in the Capitol. They took off almost the entire month of January , while the Senate confirmed Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.

For both chambers, workweeks have become short in recent years. Roll call votes are seldom scheduled for Mondays or Fridays. In the House, they are often postponed until late Tuesday.

As a result, it's difficult to schedule committee meetings. ...

Is the real function of congress to serve the member?