General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Arrest them, for fuck sake ARREST THEM! Do what THEY would do if YOU did it to them! [View all]smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I am not an expert in Constitutional Law and you said it has been interpreted to apply broadly, but what they did today seems a little out of the bounds of what this clause was intended to prevent, but again, what do I know.
"The clause states that members of both Houses of Congress
...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 from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
The intended purpose is to prevent a President or other officials of the executive branch from having members arrested on a pretext to prevent them from voting a certain way or otherwise taking actions with which the President might disagree."