I couldn't agree more that our Govn't should NEVER use the citizens in such a despicable manner! First loss of income should be directed to every member of both parties in any shutdown going forward! Let them feel the pain FIRST! No pay. No benefits. No nothing.
They are there to do the business of the people, not their OWN. If they can't do it, then get the heck OUT!
The sad and unfortunate reality, is they're all so rich from their graft and corruption, none of them would feel any financial pain even if they went unpaid for six months.
with base salary (plus additional perks) set at 10x the federal minimum wage, I'd suggest a real eye opening educational experience for most of Congress would be to get 2 months of their current pay per year and have their perks cut to the same amount given to the minimum wage citizenry.
so around $15K/year salary and they can apply for Obamacare if they want medical insurance.
imagine how fast minimum wage and obamacare would be set to livable levels if all the Congresscritters were forced to exist at those levels or tap personal wealth to compensate.
It should be written into law that any shutdown automatically pauses pay to all Congress people, staff, etc. I see no reason why they should not suffer, too. Better yet, limited # of terms. What is it - 12 years for House and 8 for Senate? Or vice versa?
Agree, it should be written into law, but we the people must demand it! I've written to my representatives in both houses expressing this very exact thing. Hopefully more citizens will do the same. 🗽
I feel as you do, but congress gets paid because their jobs are enumerated in the Constitution. And, if they weren't, they might not show up to work, which would really harm the country. I think a better solution would be to dump the 17th amendment.
If we went back to state legislatures appointing senators, the senators would not have 5 years where their bad behavior is forgotten by voters, especially as the state legislators might feel voters' wrath. When senators were appointed by the states, they knew they had to focus on their state, and being a national "hero" or "name" as many are today would not serve them as it does now.
While the removal of a senator was not specified before the 17th was passed, when removing it I would add the legislature could remove them for certain causes such as failure to honor their oath of office. Sadly, for some reason, while all in government take that oath, failure to honor the oath has never to my knowledge been used against someone legally. If ever IMO there was a failure to honor that oath, it was during the shutdown. An additional benefit is it would stop the excessive campaign financing and selling out to contributors.
I did not know anything about Fetterman when he was running for the senate. When he ran, he suffered a serious stroke and could barely speak. The people who spoke for him were far left ideologues. Now that he’s gotten better, I don’t see the same person we were led to believe ran for the senate in PA, in a good way. Seems to me he was used, but now seems to be the adult in the room on the Democrat side of the senate. Quite interesting.
They did that because Dr. Oz (from New Jersey) would have won the Senate seat in PA. Dr. Oz should go back to heart surgery and leave politics alone! Fetterman was always pretty sane in his politics..... after all, PA has a very large Amish community and they will turn out to vote against "crazy".
You know, I'd settle for a group of Democratic congressmen with strong moral compass, integrity and wanted the best for our citizens. But that held different views on how best to run things.
But what we have is not this. It's some twisted version of reality where men can be women, fascism is around every corner, and it's completely justified to use every resource in the US govt/legal system to destroy their political opponents.
They should, but they won't. They would rather throw Fetterman under the bus so they can continue with the status quo while middle class Americans and Main Street suffer.
More Dims need to have strokes. I’ll never condone the Democrat Party’s existence, much less agree with there policy wish lists, but Fetterman takes positions I can agree with.
"Freaky Fetterman" was not only bailing out the Orange Gatsby, but he was also doing Walmart a big favor as Walmart stands to lose an estimated $2 billion in sales if the SNAP program is suspended for a month, as it captures about a quarter of all SNAP spending. The oligarchs gave Fetterman a big wink. 😉🤑
Personally I think the guy is the better part of his party. He has turned out to be quite the surprise.
Hmmmm….. a Democrat politician with a spark of common sense. Interesting.
a stroke can definitely have interesting side effects. maybe he won the stroke lottery and gained increased intelligence and humanity.
Maybe every Democrat needs to have a stroke?
A common sense approach, imagine that!
I couldn't agree more that our Govn't should NEVER use the citizens in such a despicable manner! First loss of income should be directed to every member of both parties in any shutdown going forward! Let them feel the pain FIRST! No pay. No benefits. No nothing.
They are there to do the business of the people, not their OWN. If they can't do it, then get the heck OUT!
The sad and unfortunate reality, is they're all so rich from their graft and corruption, none of them would feel any financial pain even if they went unpaid for six months.
with base salary (plus additional perks) set at 10x the federal minimum wage, I'd suggest a real eye opening educational experience for most of Congress would be to get 2 months of their current pay per year and have their perks cut to the same amount given to the minimum wage citizenry.
so around $15K/year salary and they can apply for Obamacare if they want medical insurance.
imagine how fast minimum wage and obamacare would be set to livable levels if all the Congresscritters were forced to exist at those levels or tap personal wealth to compensate.
And stay in the district they were elected to “represent” 10 months out of the year.
Totally get that, but it's more for a symbolic gesture, and possibly contribute in slowing down the pace of which their wealth accumulates.
I thought the same thing.
It should be written into law that any shutdown automatically pauses pay to all Congress people, staff, etc. I see no reason why they should not suffer, too. Better yet, limited # of terms. What is it - 12 years for House and 8 for Senate? Or vice versa?
Agree, it should be written into law, but we the people must demand it! I've written to my representatives in both houses expressing this very exact thing. Hopefully more citizens will do the same. 🗽
Remove the 17th amendment. See my reply above.
I feel as you do, but congress gets paid because their jobs are enumerated in the Constitution. And, if they weren't, they might not show up to work, which would really harm the country. I think a better solution would be to dump the 17th amendment.
If we went back to state legislatures appointing senators, the senators would not have 5 years where their bad behavior is forgotten by voters, especially as the state legislators might feel voters' wrath. When senators were appointed by the states, they knew they had to focus on their state, and being a national "hero" or "name" as many are today would not serve them as it does now.
While the removal of a senator was not specified before the 17th was passed, when removing it I would add the legislature could remove them for certain causes such as failure to honor their oath of office. Sadly, for some reason, while all in government take that oath, failure to honor the oath has never to my knowledge been used against someone legally. If ever IMO there was a failure to honor that oath, it was during the shutdown. An additional benefit is it would stop the excessive campaign financing and selling out to contributors.
With NO back pay either!
I did not know anything about Fetterman when he was running for the senate. When he ran, he suffered a serious stroke and could barely speak. The people who spoke for him were far left ideologues. Now that he’s gotten better, I don’t see the same person we were led to believe ran for the senate in PA, in a good way. Seems to me he was used, but now seems to be the adult in the room on the Democrat side of the senate. Quite interesting.
They did that because Dr. Oz (from New Jersey) would have won the Senate seat in PA. Dr. Oz should go back to heart surgery and leave politics alone! Fetterman was always pretty sane in his politics..... after all, PA has a very large Amish community and they will turn out to vote against "crazy".
An old style politician that believes in representation , negotiation and reaching across the isle. Both parties could use more like him.
It's a low bar but John Fetterman is clearly the best of the Democrat Party.
You know, I'd settle for a group of Democratic congressmen with strong moral compass, integrity and wanted the best for our citizens. But that held different views on how best to run things.
But what we have is not this. It's some twisted version of reality where men can be women, fascism is around every corner, and it's completely justified to use every resource in the US govt/legal system to destroy their political opponents.
Fetterman is speaking common
sense and truth. I love it. If more Dems would join him, we could
return this country to civility.
Democrats should run Fetterman as their Presidential candidate. He’s their only choice compared to Kamala Harris, AOC, Gavin Newsom, etc.
They should, but they won't. They would rather throw Fetterman under the bus so they can continue with the status quo while middle class Americans and Main Street suffer.
Fetterman as the most reasonable and truth-speaking Democratic Senator - who would have thought?
The esteemed Senator Fetterman is one of my new heroes. I have great respect for this man.
More Dims need to have strokes. I’ll never condone the Democrat Party’s existence, much less agree with there policy wish lists, but Fetterman takes positions I can agree with.
Ah Hahahaha.....lol
Thank God for Fetterman and the other few Democrats with the sense to see that they were only hurting the people who need the most help!
Thank GOD Sen. Fetterman sees it and stands firm on his own morals, standards and ethics. A true leader!
AOC/Sanders et al, are nothing more than incompetent, empty headed, self centered human waste. Neither have the sense of a doormat.
That was actually nice compared to what I think of them.
Those sitting on Easy Street think the lives of Americans are a commodity to buy sell and trade.
"Freaky Fetterman" was not only bailing out the Orange Gatsby, but he was also doing Walmart a big favor as Walmart stands to lose an estimated $2 billion in sales if the SNAP program is suspended for a month, as it captures about a quarter of all SNAP spending. The oligarchs gave Fetterman a big wink. 😉🤑