Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) said on Tuesday that Congress should not be paid during the government shutdown.
“Nothing is more basic than funding the day-to-day operations of the government,” Buchanan said. “The failure by both parties and the White House to reach agreement and avoid a shutdown is yet another example of why Washington is broken.
“It’s time to put aside the partisanship and do what’s in the best interest of the country.”
Buchanan, who co-sponsored H.R. 3160 to block all members of the Senate and the House from receiving a paycheck until an agreement is reached, also announced that, while the government is shut down, he will not accept any salary.
“No small business would pay someone who refuses to do their job,” Buchanan said. “So why should Senators or House members be paid for failing to fulfill one of their most basic responsibilities? They shouldn’t.”
A 30-year businessman, Buchanan said that the best solutions is sometime “to get all parties together, lock them in a room and not leave until a deal gets done.”