Quote from Donald J. Trump.
#TrumpsShutdown will cost us billions…
Government shutdowns hurt people, causing financial disruption for government employees and financial disaster for contract workers. They are also expensive for the rest of us. The shutdown of 2013 was estimated to cost taxpayers more than $2.5 billion. In 2017, analysts projected a government shutdown would cost the U.S. economy $6.5 billion per week. Add that into the $210 million already spent on Trump’s pre-election troops-at-the-border photo-op, and you get a picture of the taxpayer dollars wasted on his ineffective, immoral and environmentally disastrous fever-dream of a border wall.
Memory Lane: For those who think this country should be run like a business, Trump filed for 6 bankrupcies, destroying employee retirement funds and small businesses. “It’s called OPM. I do it all the time in business. It’s called other people’s money. There’s nothing like doing things with other people’s money because it takes the risk — you get a good chunk out of it and it takes the risk.”
Part #1 – Dock his enablers’ pay. “YES” on HR 1794/S.2327 – Hold Congress Accountable Act
Currently, legislators can’t forfeit their own pay during a government shutdown due to both Article 1, section 6, which specifically requires compensation for members of Congress and the 27th amendment, which was enacted to keep legislators from increasing their salaries immediately after an election. Members of the current 115th Congress can donate their salaries, as some did after the 2013 shutdown and they can change laws for the 116th Congress. So we can’t dock Steve Knight, who’s leaving Congress this year, but we can from Mitch McConnell, if there’s a shutdown in 2019.
- H.R. 1794/S. 2327: Hold Congress Accountable Act: Cuts the annual pay of a Member of Congress for each day under a shutdown. (Pay would be held in escrow until the last day of the 115th Congress per requirements of the 27th amendment to the US Constitution.)
Part #2 – Stop legislator perks during shutdowns
- H.R. 7398: Shutdown Prioritization Act (SPA) would close the gym and sauna reserved legislators during a government shutdown. Right now, they’re still able to access the taxpayer-funded gym, sauna, and steam room while tens of thousands of federal employees remain furloughed, but janitorial staff are still required to clean the gym and restock it with towels and other “essential items.” (Introduced on 12/22 Rep. Foster (D-IL-11), it currently has no cosponsors.)
Action – Make a call, or email your legislators.
Minimal script for reps.: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Rep. [___] to support the following bills: HR 1794: Hold Congress Accountable Act, and HR 7398: Shutdown Priorization Act.
Minimal script for senators: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Senator [___] to support S.2327: Hold Congress Accountable Act.
Senator Feinstein: email, DC (202) 224-3841, LA (310) 914-7300, SF (415) 393-0707, SD (619) 231-9712, Fresno (559) 485-7430
and Senator Harris: email, DC (202) 224-3553, LA (213) 894-5000, SAC (916) 448-2787, Fresno (559) 497-5109, SF (415) 355-9041, SD (619) 239-3884
Who is my representative/senator?: hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com
Additional Reading
- Q&A: Everything you should know about government shutdowns. (Crfb.org)
- How does the government shutdown affect you? (usatoday)
- Ocasio-Cortez calls for furlough of Cngressional pay next shutdown (commondreams.org)
INDIVISIBLE VENTURA 