Memes I'm tired of: "Congress should give up their pay during shutdowns"

[Recursion]

Look. I'm sure you mean well, sharing that, but think for Christ's sake. This gives independently wealthy Congressmen immense leverage over those who aren't. AOC can't afford to stay in town if she stops getting paid. Please put this right-wing meme in the dumpster where it belongs.

[KayF]

1. i agree

in general I think talking about Congressional salary always seems like a distraction from a real issue.

[unblock]

2. Congressional pay is too *low*

If the people don't own them, someone else will.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

11. "Someone else" has an unlimited supply of cash

There are representatives and senators worth $100 million dollars. They still manage to get bought.

[Recursion]

16. I mean, it's not like they get to keep money they raise

Tom Delay tried that and wound up in jail for a while

[Empowerer]

3. True

It also punishes members who have no responsibility for the shutdown and are doing everything they can to prevent it.

Dumb idea.

[WeekiWater]

4. I made this exact argument to a friend.

I also have no yearning to see people work without pay.

[gratuitous]

5. Another one: It's the president's job to protect the American people

No, the president's job is right there in the oath of office: To preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. No Constitution, no United States.

[FakeNoose]

6. It's the White House resident calling for the shutdown

Nobody in Congress wants it. So yeah I agree, we need to do a better job of thinking this through.
1) No government shutdown - ever!
2) Anytime the government shuts down, only one person is at fault - the President.
3) The losses are too great for this to ever be allowed to happen again.
4) It's up to Congress working together to safeguard our country and our security. We already know the pResident can't do it.

[ooky]

7. Congress should eliminate shutdowns.

Pass a law that the government stays open at present spending levels when the two parties/president can't agree. This bullshit destruction of the citizens lives needs to end.

[Eliot Rosewater]

8. Everyody shows up and votes for any any any D we wont have this problem.

Every election, any democrat, period.

Any democrat, A N Y

[Ferrets are Cool]

9. I HATE seeing that meme.

The way I respond is "How about they just make it ILLEGAL to shut down OUR government?"

[shanny]

10. Memes I'm tired of: shutting down the government AT ALL

[David__77]

12. I don't agree that their pay should be forfeited for a shutdown.

I also don't like other things, like a political candidate making a campaign issue out of forgoing fringe benefits of elected office. Fringe benefits may be fine in my opinion, provided that there's transparency regarding what they are! A local candidate advertised that he wouldn't take advantage of free parking if elected to city council. I believe he's affluent, and I view his gesture with full understanding of that.

[Fresh_Start]

13. okay so pay congress but not their staffs

put their staffs on shutdown.

[Recursion]

14. Why? Why furlough the people that draft the legislation that stops the shutdown?

That would include everybody from the trained lawyers who actually write the words of laws to the admin assistants who make 435 copies of each bill to distribute to the House.

[Fresh_Start]

15. To make life as a congressman more uncomfortable so they have some stake

in solving the shutdown