Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) threw a wrench into Senator John Kennedy’s (R-LA) efforts to strip Congress of their paychecks during the ongoing government shutdown — objecting not once, but twice — as tensions rise in the Capitol over who should bear the brunt of Washington’s gridlock.
Kennedy’s “No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act” aimed to immediately halt congressional salaries for the duration of the shutdown and eliminate any retroactive back pay. He framed the proposal as a matter of fairness, arguing that lawmakers should feel the same financial pain as the air traffic controllers, military service members, and other federal employees currently left without pay.
“Members of Congress can’t be paid and don’t get back pay even after we end the shutdown,” Kennedy said as he urged his colleagues to move the bill forward by unanimous consent. “My bill will pass the House of Representatives, and my bill will be signed by the President.”
But Senator Paul wasn’t having it. Reserving his right to object, he countered that Congress should focus on reopening the government and ensuring that those still working get paid — not on punishing lawmakers.
>> Click Here To Continue Reading <<
