A Republican has announced that a measure will be put forward to recommend that all members of Congress skip paychecks until the government is operational again. Several Democrats were put on the spot about backing the measure, including House Minority Leader Jeffries (D-NY).
Not surprisingly, while Democrats hold firm on blocking the funding legislation, they are not willing to commit to holding back their own checks.
Rep. Greg Murphy (R-MD) announced that he would not be taking a paycheck until everyone who is working and not getting paid, such as our troops and federal law enforcement, is back on the payroll.
Murphy stated, "No member of Congress should be paid while the American people are forced to endure the serious consequences of the Democrats’ willful negligence and political games.”
He continued, "We are elected to represent our constituents and put our country before party. Democrats shut down the government by voting against a clean continuing resolution at the same funding levels passed back in March, for political reasons. Their wishlist includes $1.5 trillion in new spending, including giving free healthcare to illegal aliens while destroying Republican efforts to help rural health care for American citizens.”
Murphy concluded, “Further, they want the American public to subsidize insurance company profits. We simply cannot stand for this nonsense. Yet, as long as the nation must put up with their willful negligence, I will not accept a dime of my salary."
When Jeffries was asked if he would do the same, he was like a spin doctor.
He responded, “First of all, that question is not even a right one because we’re anticipating that this shutdown issue will be resolved well in advance of our next paycheck, which as you all know, members of Congress are paid on a monthly basis.”
Well, Mr. Jeffries, that was not actually the question asked, so it would be nice to get something other than spin from you for once.
Keep in mind, the salary for members of Congress is $174,000, with leadership getting significantly more. While we have troops putting their lives on the line for about 25% of that, who are still defending this country and now not getting paid to do so.
Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) was far more direct with his answer, responding, “I’m not wealthy and I have three kids. I would basically be missing, you know, mortgage payments, rent payments, child support. So it’s not feasible, not gonna happen.”
Among those not getting paychecks right now are military, air traffic, TSA agents, federal law enforcement, Border Patrol and ICE, postal workers, and corrections officers because they are all deemed necessary services.
Now, if they miss a check, they will all receive their back pay, but that does not offer any of them solace who are operating on a check-to-check basis, and I would wager that is the case for most of our military and a considerable chunk of these other workers.
I support the shutdown, but I also believe that if we are going to require these other people to work, Congress should feel the same pinch as those workers. Every single one of them.
