Did you know that Congress and the President still get paid during a government shutdown?

[AviatorTom]

There have been 15 US government shutdowns since 1991. That's about one every 2 or 3 years.

Did you know...

Members of Congress (House and Senate) and the President still get paid during a government shutdown, although most federal workers do not, even those who are in "essential" jobs and are required to work for no pay.

For Congress...

Lawmakers continue to receive paychecks during a shutdown under Article I, Section 6 of the U. S. Constitution, which protects Congress' pay.

“The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States," the Constitution states.

For the President...

The president’s salary of $400,000 per year is not affected by a shutdown.

"With regard to the President’s pay, Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution forbids the salary of the President to be reduced while he or she is in office, thus effectively guaranteeing the President of compensation regardless of any shutdown action," reads a 2018 Congressional Research Service report.

Note: President Trump donates his salary to various departments and agencies.

For federal workers...

Non-essential federal workers (about 800,000 workers) get furloughed without pay during a shutdown. They usually, but not always, receive back pay once the shutdown is over.

To consider...

What if the law were changed so that Congress and the President stopped getting paid during a shutdown? Do you think that might make shutdowns less likely?

[OlderAndWiser]

Your suggestion would require an amendment to the Constitution. If it was amended to allow for the President's pay to be changed, then a Democrat Congress that was unhappy with a Republican President could simply reduce his pay to $1.00 per year. Are you sure that you want to open that can of worms?

[AviatorTom]

@OlderAndWiser I agree it would take an amendment. I would propose a very specific amendment that would refer only to government shutdowns when there is no budget. That would avoid the situation you describe.

Doesn't the constitution, or law, require an annual budget? So when there isn't one, why aren't Congress and the President punished for violating it?

[OlderAndWiser]

Provisions of the Constitution which require certain people to take actions are classified as self-executing or non-self-executing. A self-executing provision contains the consequences to be imposed for a violation and a non-self executing does not. Congress has the power to determine sanctions for violating non-self executing provisions but, if it has not done so, the provision is unenforceable: if sanctions are to be imposed, due process requires advance notice for the nature of the sanctions and a judge may not simply decide what the sanctions should be.

[sage2021]

I believe Trump donates his salary to charity, so I can understand that his pay should continue or it's the charity that will lose.

Boy, Congress getting paid and not federal government workers are not getting paid during this shutdown is like an "In your face"! to the one's not getting paid.

This is so wrong in so many ways!

[NoDecision]

Frankly their services are not worth the money we pay them. They are off more than they work in my opinion.

[Surely]

Unless the Congressional person is a new-be. They have become millionaires off the backs of the taxpayers already. So what is a few thousand dollars a month to them! Term limits with accurate expense accounts and social security for retirement! Same health care as the rest of the country ending upon them leaving office!

[exitseven]

I am not surprised. The politicians always take care of themselves first. I work for the state and not surprisingly the health insurance that is the same as what the politicians have is the best in the country.

[Danzigdawson]

You work for the state? Aren't you supposed to be a retired college-level teacher of computer science with a well-furnished retirement account? Are you just a troll with a bullshit backstory of which you can't remember the details?

[exitseven]

@Danzigdawson I teach at a state college and before that I was an IT manager at the same state college.

[Massageman]

Yes - - - and it stinks. When their stint is over, they should get only SS when they hit retirement, and not their Congressional pension.

[Lliam]

Congressional salaries should be the first to be frozen.

[katiesmuff]

Certainly how else would those poverty stricken billionaires survive this crisis!

[purplepoppy]

I didn't know but I could have guessed it. Those that cause suffering rarely feel it's brunt.

[Anonymous]

this should be warning to others to make your own business or work for a private company that pays more

[loveslongnails]

Yes, I knew that, which makes it even more pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't count for the president, most people forget, he donates his entire salary every year.

But I did know that both the president, and congress gets paid during the shutdown.

[Zhangyuxin]

是的，我知道在政府关门期间，国会议员和总统通常仍会继续领取工资。
这主要是因为他们的工资是法律规定的，并受宪法保护。具体来说，他们的工资由法律规定，除非法律修改，否则他们将继续领取工资。总统的工资也是法律规定的，并受宪法保护，即使在政府关门期间也不能随意削减。
当然，关于政府关门期间是否应该暂停国会议员的工资，经常会有讨论，但到目前为止，这些讨论尚未导致法律的改变。

[Bklynbadboy12]

Yep and what's the point of that if the government shuts down

[chrissykerdock]

i guess you care more about illegals than americans

[darkcloud1945]

Trump donated his paycheck to charity. Every other elected official should not be paid for anything till all is resolved, all parties

[DrPepper12]

No. They have John's to support their crime spree

[blackeagle007]

I think Trump just takes $1.00 a year. Not surprised about everyone else though. What do they care?

[mysteriousNicholas]

Yes a news article told me recently 😄

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

Of course. They gonna always protect their own interests.

[Shiprex]

No surprise they're in it for themselves

[Snakeyes7]

Thanks I hate this fact.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I actually knew that.

[Tangxiaoxue]

This is very uncertain