Members of Congress have an absolute privilege against defamation for anything said on the floor of the House or Senate. This is found in the Speech & Debate clause of the Constitution. Basically, a member of Congress can lie during debate in either house. If I was a member of the House of Congress, and I was speaking on the floor, I could blatantly lie and not be subject to being sued. For instance, if I was introducing a bill strengthening the federal governments health laws, I could talk about a restaurant here in Sarasota that is filthy. I can talk about how it's roach-infested and filled with rats. In reality, the restaurant is immaculate and has never had a cleanliness problem. However, a reporter from the Sarasota herald-Tribune writes a story about what I said, and the restaurant is seriously hurt by the bad, and false, story. I am absolutely protected from being sued by the restaurant's owner because of the Speech and Debate clause. Please comment on your feelings about this protection.