Gaetz requests House withhold his pay if government shuts down

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is requesting the federal government to halt his paycheck if the government shuts down over the weekend and withhold payments until a spending deal is finalized in Congress.

In a letter to the chief administrative officer on Tuesday, Gaetz requested that his salary be withheld starting at midnight on Oct. 1 and until “legislation has taken effect” to restart government spending. The request comes just five days before the fiscal year is set to end and government funding is set to lapse, causing a shutdown.

DEMOCRATS DIVIDED OVER BOB MENENDEZ’S FUTURE IN THE SENATE

“It is my understanding that pursuant to the Constitution, members of Congress will continue to receive their pay during a lapse in appropriations,” he wrote. “Therefore, I am requesting that in the case of a lapse of appropriations … my pay be withheld until legislation has taken effect to end such lapse in appropriations in its entirety.”

Gaetz has been among the Republican holdouts who have remained adamant not to vote for a continuing resolution, putting any GOP-led temporary plan in peril due to the party’s four-vote majority in the House. Instead, the Florida Republican said he would accept a government shutdown until lawmakers pass all 12 single-subject spending bills.

It’s not clear whether Gaetz has the authority to refuse his paycheck, as lawmakers’ salaries are determined by law and cannot be waived or altered. However, lawmakers are permitted to donate their pay if they do not wish to accept their salary.

In the event of a government shutdown, thousands of federal employees are furloughed without pay until a budget can be approved. Meanwhile, lawmakers still receive their full pay even while the government is not fully operational.

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) introduced the My Constituents Cannot Afford Rebellious Tantrums, Handle Your Shutdown Act last week, which would withhold paychecks for lawmakers if a federal government shutdown ensues until Congress passes its budget. Other lawmakers have introduced similar pieces of legislation for years, but none have ever passed.

During the last government shutdown in 2019, more than 100 members of Congress sought to refuse their paychecks, including 20 senators and 82 representatives. Others announced they would donate their pay instead.

Congress has until Saturday to pass the budget for the next fiscal year, after which the government will run out of money and shut down until a deal is made. By then, lawmakers must advance 12 appropriations bills in each chamber before sending their final product to the president’s desk for approval, setting the stage for an arduous process as House Republicans and Senate Democrats disagree on overall spending numbers.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

It’s unlikely the House or Senate will be able to advance all 12 appropriations bills and negotiate a compromise before the shutdown deadline, prompting some lawmakers to consider a continuing resolution that would keep the government funded at the same levels until a final agreement is reached.

However, neither chamber has managed to pass a temporary solution, making it all the more likely that the government will run out of money by midnight on Sunday.