Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) released a statement on Wednesday vowing to not accept a salary in the event of a government shutdown.
“A government shutdown is right around the corner, yet our leaders fail to act. Now we are going to punish hard working Americans and once again exempt Congress. This is unacceptable. If we go into a shutdown I refuse to be paid until it’s over,” Burchett said.
I will not take a paycheck if the government shuts down. My statement below. pic.twitter.com/7Z1V7lqUUL
— Rep. Tim Burchett (@RepTimBurchett) September 20, 2023
“In the event of a government shutdown, Rep. Burchett will send a letter to the Clerk of the House requesting his pay be withheld for the duration of the shutdown,” the Tennessee congressman’s office added.
Lawmakers have until midnight on September 30 to enact legislation to fund the programs covered by the appropriations process, or the government will shut down.
In the event of a government shutdown, federal agencies are required by law to discontinue all non-essential discretionary functions until new funding legislation is passed and signed into law, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
A continuing resolution (CR) that would allow lawmakers more time to complete work on spending bills is currently being considered, however, a group of Republicans – including Tennessee’s Burchett and Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) have voiced opposition to the CR.
During a recent appearance on Steve Bannon’s War Room, Burchett said “we will lose our country through this financial mishandling,” arguing that lawmakers must confront the government’s out of control spending first in order to earn his vote.
The American people know we can't keep paying people not to work, paying people when they come over the border, or funding wars halfway around the world. If it takes sending something tough to the Senate and making them vote it down, then that's what we need to do. pic.twitter.com/iMMR7nsaUW
— Rep. Tim Burchett (@RepTimBurchett) September 19, 2023
Acknowledging a recent report that said a government shutdown would cost the country $3 billion, Burchett noted that the U.S. has sent $114 billion to Ukraine “with no strings attached.”
“The American people know we can’t keep paying people not to work, paying people when they come over the border, or funding wars halfway around the world. If it takes sending something tough to the Senate and making them vote it down, then that’s what we need to do,” Burchett added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
It is nice when we see a Rep who puts the finances of the country above his own. Whether he can outright afford this or will have to adjust his living standard, it is a respectable gesture.
My initial thought was we should have a rule that no federally elected official should be paid in the event of a shutdown. I quickly realized this would lead to rushed budgets, CRs, or whatever short-cuts they could use – all at the expense of the American taxpaying citizen in effort to preserve the official’s own personal financials. I like that Rep Burchett volunteered.