Which members of the Senate are taking paychecks during the shutdown?

5 days ago 14

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Members of Congress are guaranteed by the Constitution to beryllium paid during a national authorities shutdown. But astatine slightest 55 of the 100 U.S. senators are either not taking their paychecks during the shutdown oregon are donating their salaries successful solidarity with national workers who are furloughed and moving without pay, according to a tally by ABC News arsenic of Friday.

That fig includes 26 Republicans, 28 Democrats, and 1 independent. The offices of 27 Republicans, 17 Democrats and 1 autarkic person not responded.

To compile the list, ABC News reached retired to offices respective times for a response, and emailed aggregate staffers successful each office. Congressional unit are not paid during the shutdown and are presently furloughed oregon moving without pay, since their salaries are funded yearly by Congress.

Why would members of Congress not instrumentality their ain pay?

"Their extremity is to beryllium empathetic," Casey Burgat, a prof astatine George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, told ABC News, to "show radical you consciousness their pain, too, and should not beryllium advantaged erstwhile you're liable for their deficiency of paycheck."

But portion lawmakers from some parties are holding backmost their salaries, they're besides pointing fingers.

Burgat told ABC News that this is besides portion of that messaging from lawmakers toward their constituents successful an effort to blasted the "other side."

Republican Sen. Katie Britt, of Alabama, for instance, wrote connected X at the opening of October that she was having her wage withheld due to the fact that "Democrats person decided to unopen down the government--furloughing our national workers and withholding wage from our troops," and that she encouraged her Democratic colleagues to besides withhold their pay.

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, of Virginia, who is besides not taking pay, pointed fingers astatine the different party: "In solidarity with America's national workers, I volition not judge wage during this shutdown... It's clip for Republicans to conscionable america astatine the table."

Some of the senators whose offices confirmed to ABC News that they volition beryllium donating their salaries see Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., whose bureau said she is donating to wellness attraction causes and Meals connected Wheels; and Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., who said she is giving her wage to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

The bureau of Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., confirmed his wage is being donated to the Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund.

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has said helium is donating his wage to the Joseph Project, a programme helium helped launch that connects radical with jobs.

It's unclear however galore senators are inactive taking a paycheck.

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., told NBC News in aboriginal October that it was not feasible for him to skip his paycheck, saying helium is not affluent and has rent, owe and kid enactment payments.

In a consequent interrogation connected CNN, Gallego described forgoing wage arsenic "gimmicks" that didn't assistance people.

"Most of these senators are millionaires to statesman with, right? And each these congressmen that are complaining astir it, they already got paid for the full month," helium said. "So, it's each 1 large gimmick. And erstwhile these radical are complaining astir this oregon that, what's going connected is that they're not really focusing connected each these Americans that are going to suffer their insurance."

ABC News has reached retired to Gallego's bureau to inquire for clarification astir whether Gallego is presently taking a wage but has not heard back.

Gallego is efficaciously close astir not taking wage being a gimmick, Burgat told ABC News, fixed that members of Congress -- nether the Constitution -- are required to beryllium paid. That whitethorn explicate wherefore immoderate are donating their salaries alternatively of deferring pay.

Many members of Congress are not independently wealthy, Burgat said, and genuinely request the wage -- which is $174,000 a year for senators and U.S. House representatives who are not successful leadership.

Some lawmakers person besides introduced bills that would enforce fiscal penalties connected members of Congress during a shutdown oregon clasp disconnected their pay.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, for instance, introduced a bill that would "impose a regular taxation connected members of Congress during a lapse successful appropriations." Moreno is not taking a wage during the shutdown.

ABC News' Brittany Shepherd and Emily Chang contributed to this report.

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