Amid the looming threat of a government shutdown, a fiery spirit of responsibility has ignited among lawmakers, leading them to demand that they shouldn’t receive their paychecks during such a crisis. After all, funding the federal government is a primary duty of Congress, and they’re determined to lead by example.
However, there’s a constitutional twist in the tale. The Department of Treasury finds itself bound by the 27th Amendment, which explicitly bars officials from tampering with the compensation of Senators and Representatives between elections. This constitutional knot has left lawmakers searching for creative solutions to demonstrate their accountability in the face of a shutdown.
Enter Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), who have put forth a bold proposal. They aim to circumvent the 27th Amendment’s constraints by urging the House Chief Administrative Officer, responsible for issuing those coveted paychecks, to withhold them until the conclusion of the 118th Congress. It’s a move that’s turning heads and raising eyebrows in the hallowed halls of Washington.
And lest we forget, during past government shutdowns, many lawmakers, driven by a profound sense of duty, pledged to donate their shutdown salaries to charitable causes. Such acts of selflessness and commitment to public service continue to inspire as the nation braces for another potential budgetary showdown.
