Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., is putting his money where his heart is: If Congress cannot vote to keep the government open, then the lawmaker says he should not be paid.
He announced Wednesday he has formally asked the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to withhold his congressional salary for the entirety of the ongoing government shutdown.
“Government shutdowns are costly, disruptive, and ultimately unproductive,” he wrote in a statement. “It is unacceptable for members of Congress to receive a paycheck while dedicated federal workers — including members of our Armed Services — go without.
“That’s why I’ve instructed the CAO to withhold my salary for the full length of the shutdown.
“I strongly urge my colleagues in the Senate to stop playing partisan politics and pass the clean Continuing Resolution we sent them. We must immediately reopen the government and return to fulfilling our responsibilities to the American people.”
Bilirakis move is largely symbolic — under the U.S. Constitution and federal law, congressional salaries are protected against interruption by shutdowns — but his call signals his intent to align his pay with that of furloughed federal workers.
The idea of withholding congressional pay during funding lapses has also had support previously from some Democrats. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., had called in 2023 for House pay to be withheld in times of congressional inaction, arguing lawmakers should not be “rewarded with their pay” when citizens suffer for lack of governance, CBS News reported.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., is sick of the government shutdown shakedowns the Democrats have foisted on both Trump administrations, proposing the Eliminate Government Shutdowns Act.
It would implement automatic 14-day continuing resolutions if spending bills are not enacted, preventing disruptions while giving lawmakers more time to negotiate.
Since he joined the Senate in 2011, lawmakers should have passed 180 appropriations bills on time.
“You know how many we’ve actually passed on time? Six,” Johnson told Newsmax’s “Wake Up America.” “That’s a 3.3% success rate — or a 96.7% failure rate.”
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