Thursday, April 7, 2011

Casey says "No budget, don't pay us"


Casey, Senators Again Call on Speaker Boehner to Immediately Hold a Vote on ‘No Budget, No Pay’ Bill

Sign the petition at www.nopay4congress.com

WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) joined with 14 of their Senate colleagues today to send a letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) urging him to immediately take up and pass stand-alone legislation that would prevent Members of Congress and the President of the United States from being paid during a shutdown of the federal government.

In the letter, the Senators point out that Speaker Boehner has repeatedly refused to take up S. 388, which was approved by the Senate unanimously a month ago. The Senators wrote, “It is essential that we work together to avoid a government shutdown, but if we cannot do our jobs and keep the government functioning, we should not get paid.”

The measure would fix a basic inequity that allows Members of Congress and the President to be paid during a government shutdown – while millions of other Federal employees are not – because lawmakers and the President are paid through mandatory spending rather than annual appropriations. The bill also would prevent Members of Congress and the President from being paid retroactively after a government shutdown. Prior to the 1995 government shutdown, Congressman Boehner expressed his support for an identical bill.

In addition to Senators Casey and Boxer, the letter was signed by Senators Begich (D-AK), Bennet (D-CO), Blumenthal (D-CT), Inouye (D-HI), Manchin (D-WV), McCaskill (D-MO), Menendez (D-NJ), Merkley (D-OR), Mikulski (D-MD), Shaheen (D-NH), Stabenow (D-MI), Tester (D-MT), Whitehouse (D-RI) and Wyden (D-OR).

In the House, Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) introduced a similar bill in February which is being held in committee until Speaker Boehner schedules a vote.

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