General Discussion

babylonsister

(171,081 posts) Wed Feb 25, 2015, 08:40 PM Feb 2015

Dem bill would withhold lawmaker pay if DHS shuts down

February 25, 2015, 02:11 pm
Dem bill would withhold lawmaker pay if DHS shuts down

By Cristina Marcos

Democratic legislation unveiled in the House would withhold lawmakers' pay if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shuts down on Saturday.

Rep. Brad Ashford (D-Neb.), the bill's sponsor, said members of Congress should go without pay if they miss the deadline for DHS funding.

"All across the country, folks live by the idea that if you don't do your job, you shouldn't get paid," Ashford said in a statement. "The same should hold true for members of Congress, and this bill simply codifies that belief."

Nearly 90 percent of DHS employees would have to work without pay in a shutdown, while another 30,000 workers would be furloughed.

Ashford and all of the other three co-sponsors of the bill represent swing districts. Democratic Reps. Gwen Graham (Fla.), Scott Peters (Calif.) and Ami Bera (Calif.) all faced tough races in 2014 and likely will again next year.

more...

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/233828-dems-offer-bill-withholding-lawmaker-pay-in-dhs-shutdown

12 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Dem bill would withhold lawmaker pay if DHS shuts down (Original Post) babylonsister Feb 2015 OP

Well bless them for speaking up & saying what many taxpaying citizens also believe. misterhighwasted Feb 2015 #1

In theory, it's nice and terrific that they should do this. Bohunk68 Feb 2015 #2

If the DHS shuts down... Helen Borg Feb 2015 #3

Do you believe FEMA is necessary? Bandit Feb 2015 #5

That's the thing... Helen Borg Feb 2015 #6

Considering that this is unconstitutional... Action_Patrol Feb 2015 #4

^ THIS ^ mac56 Mar 2015 #10

Fema worked just fine penndragon69 Feb 2015 #7

Hurt them in the pocketbook? tomsaiditagain Feb 2015 #8

upon being sworn in freeze their assets. obxhead Mar 2015 #9

They're going to ban lobbyists? icymist Mar 2015 #11

if they shut down government again .... POLITICIANS DON'T GET $$$$$$ trueblue2007 Mar 2015 #12

misterhighwasted

(9,148 posts)

1. Well bless them for speaking up & saying what many taxpaying citizens also believe.

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Wed Feb 25, 2015, 08:45 PM

Feb 2015

Kudos for them

Bohunk68

(1,364 posts)

2. In theory, it's nice and terrific that they should do this.

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Thu Feb 26, 2015, 10:09 AM

Feb 2015

That being said, it will go precisely nowheres. It's that Republic majority in both houses and who controls the agenda. This is nothing but a useless "feel good" joke on the electorate.

Helen Borg

(3,963 posts)

3. If the DHS shuts down...

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Thu Feb 26, 2015, 02:06 PM

Feb 2015

It will become obvious that we don't need a DHS to begin with!

Bandit

(21,475 posts)

5. Do you believe FEMA is necessary?

Reply to Helen Borg (Reply #3)

Fri Feb 27, 2015, 01:05 PM

Feb 2015

It is covered under DHS along with Border Control and Secret Service.

Helen Borg

(3,963 posts)

6. That's the thing...

Reply to Bandit (Reply #5)

Fri Feb 27, 2015, 03:58 PM

Feb 2015

Last edited Sat Feb 28, 2015, 06:40 PM - Edit history (1)

Creating the DHS was a mistake. FEMA should be its own agency.

Action_Patrol

(845 posts)

4. Considering that this is unconstitutional...

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Fri Feb 27, 2015, 11:44 AM

Feb 2015

It's all lip service.

You know, the 27th Amendment and all

mac56

(17,574 posts)

10. ^ THIS ^

Reply to Action_Patrol (Reply #4)

Mon Mar 2, 2015, 12:22 AM

Mar 2015

penndragon69

(788 posts)

7. Fema worked just fine

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Fri Feb 27, 2015, 10:13 PM

Feb 2015

BEFORE the monstrous DHS was given life by bush. Now, we have even
deeper layers of bureaucracy and waste to crawl through
in order to get things done. It was a mistake to have ever been
created in the first place. And after all these years, all the agencies under their
heel STILL do not interact or share information with
each other....what a joke.

tomsaiditagain

(105 posts)

8. Hurt them in the pocketbook?

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Sat Feb 28, 2015, 10:05 AM

Feb 2015

Congress is a millionaires club. I say send em all home for good.

Middle class American's should run the government to make sure the people (99%) get what we should from our government.