NASHVILLE – U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., announced Friday he has requested his congressional pay be withheld until the partial government shutdown is resolved by Congress and President Donald Trump.
In a statement, the Ooltewah Republican sought to blame House majority Democrats, who are now in control of the House, for the standoff with Trump, who has demanded Congress include $5.6 billion for his proposed border wall with Mexico.
“I believe that hardworking members of our federal workforce should not be punished due to Democrats’ willingness to put party over country. I remain ready and willing to end this shutdown and ensure border security, but until an agreement is reached I will be withholding my pay.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., re-introduced his 2013 bipartisan legislation, the “No Budget, No Pay Act,” which would halt representatives and senators from being paid if they fail to pass spending bills on time. They also would not be paid retroactively.
Cooper is also a longtime cosponsor of the “Hold Congress Accountable Act,” which would prevent members of Congress from being paid in the event of a government shutdown for as long as the shutdown continues.
He noted in a news release that Congress overwhelmingly passed a version of the “No Budget, No Pay Act” in 2013 to break the stalemate of a previous government shutdown. That year, the House and Senate passed individual budgets for the first time in four years.
However, the bill was temporary, and has since expired, according to Cooper.
The shutdown on Friday hit the two-week mark and affects an estimated 800,000 federal employees and federal contractors nationwide who have been furloughed or are working without pay.
Impacted departments are Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, Homeland Security and Housing and Urban Development. Agencies include NASA, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
House Democrats on Thursday passed legislation to fund most departments and agencies, excluding the Department of Homeland Security, the center of the ongoing dispute.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he won’t take up the legislation.
A meeting between Trump and top House and Senate Democratic and Republican leaders on Friday went nowhere, with the president saying he could keep parts of the federal government shut down for “months or even years,” The Associated Press reported.
After the House took action on Thursday, Cooper tweeted “Now that the House has done its job and passed bills to reopen the government, the Senate should follow suit. Congress should never let the government shut down.
“America is the greatest nation on earth, and it is embarrassing we are so poorly managed,” Cooper added.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.