TPA Criticizes Shutdown and Calls for Congressional Accountability

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kara Zupkus (224)-456-0257

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congress has failed to reach an agreement that would pass a continuing resolution (CR) and fund the government, triggering a government shutdown. This is an extremely disruptive and painful situation for millions of Americans that could have been avoided if Congress had fulfilled its basic duty of appropriating funds instead of opting for short-term spending deals.

As millions of federal workers, including congressional staffers, go without pay during this shutdown, members of Congress continue to get paid as usual. Members should not be exempted from the consequences of a shutdown, especially when it is the product of their negligence.

In response to this development, David Williams, TPA President, offered the following comment:

“We’ve seen this movie before and we have never liked the ending. Congress has once again failed to complete the regular appropriations process on time and is now reliant on passing a CR. The dependence on short term CRs instead of full appropriation bills is irresponsible and creates chaos for the economy and federal workers.

“House Republicans successfully passed a clean CR to keep the government open, demonstrating that a straightforward solution was on the table. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats rejected that approach and insisted on cramming the bill with over $1 trillion in unrelated spending—including new green-energy subsidies, earmarks for pet projects, and additional foreign aid spending—none of which had anything to do with keeping essential government services running. By trying to leverage a shutdown to advance wasteful priorities, they put politics over the basic responsibility of funding the government.

“This has happened and will keep happening because members of Congress have no skin in the game. While essential federal workers continue to work without pay, members of Congress remain paid during government shutdowns. So, while the nation endures the costs of their negligence, Congress comes out unscathed. This is not logical, especially considering their staff will not be paid.

“There have been proposals in the past to withhold pay from Congress when debt limits are reached or the government is shut down. It is time to bring those ideas back to the floor. If such measures were in place, perhaps Congress would approach the regular appropriations process with more urgency.

“TPA regrets that American taxpayers will have to bear the costs of the upcoming government shutdown and calls for legislation to withhold pay for lawmakers during government shutdowns.”

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 Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.