Is there a reason why a govt. shutdown doesn't doesn't halt congressional salaries?

[Gravitycollapse]

Like, is there a historical reason? Or have congresspersons exempted themselves from the shutdown because they're greedy assholes?

[liberal N proud]

1. When you write the rules, you make them in your favor

[PoliticAverse]

2. Why is Congress exempt from so much passed legislation? n/t

[Rex]

3. Congress works for the 1%. Maybe not so much in the past

but today far too many of them are bought and paid for.

[MyshkinCommaPrince]

4. They need to solve the problem.

The most charitable rationale I can imagine is that members of Congress are the only ones who can end a shutdown relating to passing a budget. They need to be paid, so they can stay on the job and work it out. This idea falls apart if and when almost all members of Congress have enough wealth to not need a steady income.

[chowder66]

5. Essential Personnel

Does the shutdown mean that Congress won't be paid?

Members of Congress will get paid in the event of a shutdown. That is because they fall under the category of "essential" personnel. The last time the government faced a serious threat of shuttering, in 2011, the Senate unanimously passed a bill that would prevent Congress and the president from receiving paychecks during a shutdown. The House never took up the measure. In January, at the beginning of the new legislative year, Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, both Democrats, introduced their bill again. The full Senate has not taken up the measure.

Whether or not congressional staffers get checks during a shutdown is a little bit harder to discern. The general thinking is that most staffers are considered "nonessential" personnel and therefore won't be paid. Based on what took place during the 1995 and 1996 shutdowns, staffers — along with most other federal employees — got paid retroactively for days missed once the government reopened. It is not clear whether staffers would receive retroactive pay this time around. According to Barry Anderson, who was assistant director for budget at the Office of Management and Budget during the last shutdown, the number of people deemed essential or nonessential can be fluid. "During a short shutdown, you may not need to do certain things. But the longer it goes, more people may be deemed 'essential' over time."

— Brakkton Booker

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/09/25/225453255/your-government-shutdown-questions-answered

[cloudbase]

6. They are classified as constitutional employees,

as opposed to federal employees.

[RC]

11. There is no such thing as 'constitutional employees'.

Congress critters and their staff are federal employes. The split is only between essential and nonessential. Which is who, can change depending on circumstances.

[Cleita]

7. I think that rule could be changed, but doubt if it will

as it seems self interest is what drives the Congressional leaders who could make that change.

[spanone]

8. bwahahahahaaa...they write the laws..of course they're not affected

they are immune to insider trading too

they are above the peon rabble

[libdem4life]

9. Haven't you heard? They are just above poverty, what with their $174,000 for 126 days work

Poor dears. They rack in almost $1400 a day. Lord knows what their benefits add to that. 239 days off.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kenneth-d-ackerman/congress-calendar_b_2219870.html

[lpbk2713]

10. They own the ball, the bat, the glove and the ball park.

And the rules are always made in their favor.