Senator Coons calls for Members of Congress’ pay to be withheld during a government shutdown

[LynneSin]

http://coons.senate.gov/press/release/?id=970A7614-0E84-421C-B98F-E8BE33BD94E5

Senator Coons calls for Members of Congress’ pay to be withheld during a government shutdown

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) today said that Members of Congress and the President should not be paid if the federal government is shutdown this spring because of an inability to meet its financial obligations.

“For House Republicans to recklessly threaten to shutdown the federal government if their demands are not met, they must be prepared to share in the consequences,” Senator Coons said. “Members of Congress and the President should bear the same burden as the hundreds of thousands of federal employees who would lose their source of income during a shutdown. The least we can do is to share in the pain.”

Senator Coons is a cosponsor of S.388 – a bill introduced by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.) on Thursday to prevent Members of Congress and the President from receiving basic pay for any period in which there is more than a 24-hour lapse in appropriations for any federal department or agency as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution. The bill would also apply if the federal government is unable to make payments or meet obligations because the debt limit has been reached.

[sarge43]

1. Not just pay, all the perks - medical, franking, office space, staff, etc. n/t

[calimary]

3. ESPECIALLY their publicly-funded health care coverage.

And if scott walker in Wisconsin says the state's broke, well then how can it afford HIS salary and benefits? Has he said anything about that? How 'bout that "shared sacrifice, 'eh Gov?"

[Kber]

2. Well yeah.

I mean, they are Federal employees aren't they? Why should they get paid if other workers don't.

Actually never occurred to me that Congressmen / women would draw a paycheck during a shut-down.

[Dappleganger]

4. Take their phones, too.

Lock them out of their offices and tell them to go get a room at the Days Inn.

:rofl: