And you thought Coloradans just used emoluments to deal with the harsh, dry weather. In an attempt to keep things constitutional, Congress on Wednesday cut the pay -- and
emoluments, or compensation and perquisites -- for the secretary of the interior back to the 2005 level so presumptive nominee Sen. Ken Salazar won't run afoul of an obscure constitutional provision.
Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution forbids a member of Congress from taking a federal job after having voted to increase the job's pay, so Congress routinely bumps back the pay.