To: President Donald Trump, Rep. James Baird (IN-4), The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Let Government Shutdowns Start with Congressional Paychecks
On October 1, 2013, the U.S. government shut down for the first time in over seventeen years. These shutdowns should always be a last resort and not the result of political wrangling. Many government employees are without work indefinitely; many are still required to work knowing they may not be paid for their labor.
Let's propose new legislation that will always ensure the first casualty of a government shutdown is the cessation of paychecks and benefits to elected officials whose job it is to ensure the government keeps running. If politicians won't do their jobs, they should not be paid but still be required to fulfill the obligations and work required of their elected office with the potential of incarceration for willful disregard of their obligations in the event of discontinued pay.
Let's propose new legislation that will always ensure the first casualty of a government shutdown is the cessation of paychecks and benefits to elected officials whose job it is to ensure the government keeps running. If politicians won't do their jobs, they should not be paid but still be required to fulfill the obligations and work required of their elected office with the potential of incarceration for willful disregard of their obligations in the event of discontinued pay.
Why is this important?
The government has shut down. People are out of work--or worse, required to work with the potential to do so unpaid--but Congress is still getting paid to sit on their backsides and point fingers. The rest of us have to work for a living. I wish I had a job where I could keep getting paid even if I refused to do any work.
Politicians have become unaccountable because they are the last to be affected by their poor decisions. A shutdown should affect their pay and benefits first. I also believe any politician who would then refuse to attend due to cessation of pay should be arrested for breach of their constitutional obligations to the people of this country.
Politicians have become unaccountable because they are the last to be affected by their poor decisions. A shutdown should affect their pay and benefits first. I also believe any politician who would then refuse to attend due to cessation of pay should be arrested for breach of their constitutional obligations to the people of this country.