Ocasio-Cortez: It's 'Completely Unacceptable' Congressional Salaries Are Exempt From Shutdown
- 5 years ago
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has blasted the fact that Congressional lawmakers still get paid during a government shutdown.
Democratic Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has blasted the fact that congressional lawmakers still get paid during a government shutdown.
"Next time we have a gov shutdown, Congressional salaries should be furloughed as well. It's completely unacceptable that members of Congress can force a government shutdown on partisan lines & then have Congressional salaries exempt from that decision," she tweeted Saturday. "Have some integrity."
Her post comes on the first day of a partial government shutdown caused by lawmakers' inability to pass a budget amid President Trump's demands for border wall funding.
CNBC notes that the shutdown is expected to affect more than 420,000 federal employees who will continue to work with deferred payment such as law enforcement, and around 380,000 workers who won't be paid for the missed time such as NASA staff.
Ocasio-Cortez's point about congressional salaries has been made before.
Around the time of the Obama administration's 2013 shutdown, the Washington Post explained why lawmakers are exempt from any budget crisis, writing, "The government shutdown only affects agencies and employees that are funded through annual appropriations. But that doesn't apply to members of Congress. Salaries for members of the House and Senate are written into permanent law."
At the time, some lawmakers offered to donate their salaries during the shutdown period in solidarity with other federal workers.
Democratic Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has blasted the fact that congressional lawmakers still get paid during a government shutdown.
"Next time we have a gov shutdown, Congressional salaries should be furloughed as well. It's completely unacceptable that members of Congress can force a government shutdown on partisan lines & then have Congressional salaries exempt from that decision," she tweeted Saturday. "Have some integrity."
Her post comes on the first day of a partial government shutdown caused by lawmakers' inability to pass a budget amid President Trump's demands for border wall funding.
CNBC notes that the shutdown is expected to affect more than 420,000 federal employees who will continue to work with deferred payment such as law enforcement, and around 380,000 workers who won't be paid for the missed time such as NASA staff.
Ocasio-Cortez's point about congressional salaries has been made before.
Around the time of the Obama administration's 2013 shutdown, the Washington Post explained why lawmakers are exempt from any budget crisis, writing, "The government shutdown only affects agencies and employees that are funded through annual appropriations. But that doesn't apply to members of Congress. Salaries for members of the House and Senate are written into permanent law."
At the time, some lawmakers offered to donate their salaries during the shutdown period in solidarity with other federal workers.