SOURCE: www.moran.house.gov
| Bill would prevent Congress, President from drawing paychecks during a shutdown | |
| Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, introduced legislation that would put Members of Congress and the President of the United States on equal footing with federal employees by preventing them from receiving a paycheck during a shutdown of the federal government. Companion legislation was introduced by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Bob Casey (D-PA).
“If we’re going to throw federal employees, including our staffs, out on the street, we should be right there with them,” said Moran. “In the event of a shutdown, Members should be eating peanut butter and jelly like everyone else.”
The legislation fixes the unfair treatment of elected officials by preventing the President and Members of Congress from receiving basic pay for a lapse in employment as a result of failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution. Under current law, Members of Congress and the President continue to receive a paycheck during a federal government shutdown. Their salaries are paid through mandatory spending required by law (2 U.S.C. 31 and 3 U.S.C 102) rather than through the annual appropriations process. The United States has seen 17 federal funding gaps since 1977, most recently during the Clinton Administration. The shutdowns of 1995 and 1996 resulted in the furlough of roughly 800,000 federal workers and more than 20% of DC-area contractors. |
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