U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis is asking for his pay to be withheld during the federal government shutdown, saying if the military isn’t being paid during the disruption then neither should members of Congress.
In a letter[1] to the Chief Administrative Officer for the Capitol Building, the Panhandle Republican made the ask after he found out members of Congress are still receiving their salary.
“Members of Congress should not receive special treatment. If our troops, border patrol agents, and other law enforcement personnel are not being paid, I should not be either,” Patronis said.
Patronis, who earns $174,000 annually, then directed the administrative office to “withhold my net pay until an appropriations agreement has taken effect.”
Patronis is the second federal lawmaker from Florida who modified their pay since the government shutdown took hold last week.
U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody decided to redirect her salary. On Oct. 1, Moody announced she would be sending her pay in the form of a donation to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay[2].
“I will not take a paycheck while (New York Democrat) Sen. Chuck Schumer denies one to our military servicemembers, law enforcement and government employees. Each day the government remains closed, I will be donating my salary to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay which provides help to vulnerable populations who may be impacted by this reckless choice,” Moody said.
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay helps residents who are going through struggles from sexual assault or abuse, domestic violence, financial distress, substance abuse, medical emergencies or other trying circumstances.
Lawmakers on Monday provided few public signs[3] of meaningful negotiations to break an impasse on reopening the federal government[4] as the shutdown entered its sixth day. House Speaker Mike Johnson said “there’s nothing for us to negotiate” while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declared that the “time is now” to work out a deal on health care.
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters Monday that they could stop asking why he wasn’t negotiating an end to the impasse and that it was up to Democrats to “stop the madness” and pass a stopgap spending bill that had earlier passed the House.
___
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. Republished with permission.
References
- ^ letter (patronis.house.gov)
- ^ Crisis Center of Tampa Bay (www.crisiscenter.com)
- ^ few public signs (apnews.com)
- ^ reopening the federal government (apnews.com)