Snowe Pledges: “No Budget, No Pay for Lawmakers”

Greek-American Senator Olympia Snowe joins bipartisan effort urging President, Vice President and colleagues to forgo federal salary

U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) has pledged to forgo her federal salary in the regrettable event of a government shutdown. Senator Snowe is also urging the President, Vice President, and all of her Congressional colleagues to follow suit and forfeit their salaries should the government shut down.

“This budget process should have been completed by October 1 of last year,” said Senator Snowe. “Now, six months in we still don’t have a budget? This just shows the dysfunctional nature of the political system in Washington and the budget process as a whole. It is completely irresponsible for Congress and the President to have brought us to a shutdown of government. People are still paying taxes, but the government is about to stop functioning, because Congressional leaders and the White House won’t come to agreement. Members of Congress should not take their pay in the deplorable event of a government shutdown, especially since America’s military personnel who are serving in harm’s way will not be receiving their paychecks. Undeniably, a shutdown would present a significant hardship for families, our military and businesses nationwide. Our President and Congressional leaders must work this out and listen to the American people who have resoundingly repudiated business as usual in Washington.”

Senator Snowe is an original cosponsor of S. 724, the Ensuring Pay for our Military Act of 2011, which would make certain our military is paid in the event of a federal government shutdown.