House Voted Against Pay Suspension for Themselves?

[Ben]

I get these Government Executive E-Newsletters in my work email. They lean somewhat to the left, but not too crazily, which leads me to believe this is accurate. If so, I'm sorely disappointed in the House Republicans. Voting to suspend their own pay in a government shutdown should have been one of the first things they did, and it should have passed unanimously.

I can only hope the reason they didn't was because the legislation was sponsored by Boxer and had something bad attached to it. I tried going to the link to the legislation, but it gave me an error. Nevertheless, even if that were the case, they should have immediately put forth their own legislation to suspend their pay.

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=47521

[Ned Hamford]

I can only hope the reason they didn't was because the legislation was sponsored by Boxer and had something bad attached to it.

Looks like it.  It gets me a special kind of angry when people mess around with the notion of not paying others for work performed.  But of course a fair percentage of the 'political class' no longer differentiate between the various types of theft.

"Some lawmakers are calling on Congress to suspend its own pay in the event of a shutdown. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., in February introduced legislation that would suspend pay for lawmakers and the president if appropriations were unavailable for more than 24 hours. The bill also would prohibit salaries from being paid retroactively. The proposal passed the Senate in March, but has been rejected by House lawmakers."

[makattak]

Looks like it.  It gets me a special kind of angry when people mess around with the notion of not paying others for work performed.  But of course a fair percentage of the 'political class' no longer differentiate between the various types of theft.

"Some lawmakers are calling on Congress to suspend its own pay in the event of a shutdown. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., in February introduced legislation that would suspend pay for lawmakers and the president if appropriations were unavailable for more than 24 hours. The bill also would prohibit salaries from being paid retroactively. The proposal passed the Senate in March, but has been rejected by House lawmakers."

As I recall, congress doesn't have the power to suspend the president's pay. This would be an unconstitutional bill.

[vaskidmark]

1 - Nobody is suggesting that Congress suspend the Prez's pay.  Just not cut the check until there is money in the checking account again.

2 - Suspending the actual paychecks of military is going to cause massive headaches.  Many "junior ranks" are like the rest of the population, living from paycheck to paycheck.  Even with administrative leave granted to get into town to apply for SNAP (Supplemental Assistance for Needy Persons) (aka Food Stamps) the welfare dept. offices may be closed because of a failure of federal funds to flow through to the states to pay the folks who process the applications.

Wonder if DoD will open up the messhalls to family members who otherwise cannot get food?

Even if Dod opens up the messhalls, how will the costs of fuel to get there be paid?

Life sucks bad enough for military dependents who are moved out of base housing because their sponsoring service member is on overseas deployment.  Imagine what's going to happen when families of those stationed CONUS are evicted for not paying the rent, let alone are going hungry during te time it takes to do the evictions.

Yes, I'm aware that the keys to the armory and ammo bunkers are held by officers/senior NCOs, but there is strrength in numbers.  Shades of the Sepoy mutiny!

stay safe.

[makattak]

1 - Nobody is suggesting that Congress suspend the Prez's pay.  Just not cut the check until there is money in the checking account again.

Ummm...

"Some lawmakers are calling on Congress to suspend its own pay in the event of a shutdown. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., in February introduced legislation that would suspend pay for lawmakers and the president if appropriations were unavailable for more than 24 hours. The bill also would prohibit salaries from being paid retroactively. The proposal passed the Senate in March, but has been rejected by House lawmakers."

Sure that no one is suggesting Congress suspend the President's pay?

[HankB]

. . . Suspending the actual paychecks of military is going to cause massive headaches . . . the keys to the armory and ammo bunkers are held by officers/senior NCOs, but there is strrength in numbers.  Shades of the Sepoy mutiny!

The FIRST people governments with fiscal problems pay are the men with the guns. (Or, looking back in history, muskets, crossbows, swords, spears, clubs, rocks, etc.)

[MechAg94]

I heard the other day that military pay would NOT be suspended, that was some of the misinformation scare tactic stuff being thrown out.  I'll have to see if I can find a link.

[MechAg94]

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/04/06/government-shutdown-what-to-expect/

MILITARY OPERATIONS: Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said on Tuesday that Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn III is preparing guidance for the military services and defense agencies in case of a shutdown. “I want to underscore that we would still have the authority and the ability to continue key national security activities, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, operations in Libya, and humanitarian assistance in Japan, to name a few,” Mr. Morrell said at a Tuesday press conference. So far, though, Morrell said no decision has been made yet on how a shutdown would affect military pay.

[Jamisjockey]

As I recall, congress doesn't have the power to suspend the president's pay. This would be an unconstitutional bill.

Well hell, the word "unconstitutional" hasn't stopped them before.

[vaskidmark]

“I want to underscore that we would still have the authority and the ability to continue key national security activities, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, operations in Libya, and humanitarian assistance in Japan, to name a few,” Mr. Morrell said at a Tuesday press conference.

Being a retired bureaucrat I understand the very fine differences between "have the authority and ability to continue ... activities" and "we have money in the checking account and are are being allowed to hand it out in paychecks to the troops for base pay" as well as "we have money in the checking account and are are being allowed to hand it out in paychecks to the troops for base pay plus other allowances".

Bureaucrats, when speaking weaselwordese, make attorneys green with envy.

stay safe.

[KD5NRH]

Yes, I'm aware that the keys to the armory and ammo bunkers are held by officers/senior NCOs, but there is strrength in numbers. 

Keys are only relevant to those who care about leaving the door/walls/roof intact.

[dogmush]

Yes, I'm aware that the keys to the armory and ammo bunkers are held by officers/senior NCOs, but there is strrength in numbers.  Shades of the Sepoy mutiny!

gigglesnort.

Keep telling yourself that.  Officers and Senior NCO's have better things to do then open the arms room for every little inventory. --Not that I will be opening my arms room for anything less then actual zombies in the streets.

[Ben]

--Not that I will be opening my arms room for anything less then actual zombies in the streets.

Party Pooper.

[RevDisk]

gigglesnort.

Keep telling yourself that.  Officers and Senior NCO's have better things to do then open the arms room for every little inventory. --Not that I will be opening my arms room for anything less then actual zombies in the streets.

Hell, if no one is paid for long enough, a large amount of equipment will vanish in very short order.  Aside from the military pay, I don't mind the shutdown what. so. ever.  Thing with the military, you don't have the option of just quitting at any time.  Contract should be binding both ways.  They sign you for six years, you get PAID for that six years unless YOU screw up your end. 

[Yellowjacket]

Politicians love themselves too much to cut their own pay. I would be shocked if they let a shutdown happen that affected them personally.

[Ben]

Looks like some will voluntarily give up their pay or redirect it to charity:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/07/lawmakers-weigh-giving-paychecks-shutdown/

[RaspberrySurprise]

How stupid/in debt do you have to be to be living paycheck to paycheck on a 174,000 salary?

(Linda Sanchez claims she does "like most Americans")