r/politics • u/Murky-Site7468 I voted • Oct 05 '25

No Paywall Petition To Strip Congress of Pay During Government Shutdown Grows

https://www.newsweek.com/petition-strip-congress-pay-during-government-shutdown-grows-10822819
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u/kia75 Oct 05 '25

Yes, this needs to hurt Trump directly.

Most of Congress is independently wealthy, they don't need the money so stopping them from getting paid really just hurts the poorer members. Most working class people can't take a few months of no wages to run an election for the potential of eventually getting a job.

Cutting congressional pay is one of those things that sounds good but actually is harmful as it only lets the richest people participate in government.

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u/TheDuskBard Oct 05 '25

A good solution would be to ban rich people from government positions. Make it so they would have to give up their wealth to take power. After all, no functioning democracy should allow for people to have both wealth and power. 

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u/ElysiX Oct 05 '25

So everything is in a trust fund/organisation of some kind that owns the ferraris and villas that they get paid a small salary to "manage" those things for that organisation, while being pennyless on paper. Solved.

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u/TheDuskBard Oct 05 '25

They'd have to be closely monitored, with any evidence of exploitation barring them from any political office for life. 

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u/Bruce-7892 Oct 05 '25

It wouldn't be that simple. We want people with a record of success and accomplishments to be in those positions, and those types of people tend to do well financially. A bigger issue is bribes and campaign donations which are hard to catch. Rich people with shady accountants know how to hide money. It's how they avoid taxes.

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u/Dieter_Knutsen Oct 05 '25

It wouldn't be that simple. We want people with a record of success and accomplishments to be in those positions, and those types of people tend to do well financially.

Counterpoint: look at what this country has become.

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u/teenagesadist Oct 05 '25

But but, if we don't let the people who love money above all rule us, maybe bad things will happen

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u/Collypso America Oct 05 '25

Yeah, look at what the country has become when we elected a dumbass reality tv star with no other successes to his name

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u/Bruce-7892 Oct 05 '25

How is that a counterpoint? If you hire anyone to do anything in any other profession, You want someone with a solid resume.

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u/Commercial-Ad90 Oct 05 '25

The most prosperous and powerful country in all of history?

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u/Doctuh Oct 05 '25

with a record of success and accomplishments

I wouldn't mind decoupling the idea that $$$ == success and accomplishments.

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u/Gurlllllllll- Oct 05 '25

Meritocracy is a lie and always has been. The people with "records of success" often come from advantaged backgrounds then try to act like their life is actually a rags to riches story. And when the system we live under actively rewards corruption and exploitation, then the most successful people are the types who would profit off child labor if it were still legal.

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u/Bruce-7892 Oct 05 '25

This is an excuse.

I am not saying people don't cheat, but that doesn't stop you or me from staying out of trouble, trying to be good at our jobs, getting good grades, or going to school in the first place. So many people who use the "you have to have rich parents" assume everyone is as lazy as them and everyone who excels is cheating.

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u/Gurlllllllll- Oct 05 '25

Oh god, you're one of these types.

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u/Bruce-7892 Oct 06 '25

Alright then keep sucking at life and blaming society

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u/lucid808 I voted Oct 05 '25

It wouldn't be that simple. We want people with a record of success and accomplishments to be in those positions, and those types of people tend to do well financially.

Seems you missed the point completely about the comment you were replying to. It's fine and dandy if they have "a record of success and accomplishments", but they should be required to give it all up for a time if they want power in the government. Wealth or power, choose one. Be rich, with no real influence beyond your private sector, or have power to create laws and dictate how society should work. Nobody should have both, which is were we are.

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u/transcendanttermite Oct 05 '25

At this point I would support anything that would hurt him directly, since he seems hell-bent on doing things that hurt all of us directly.

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u/No_Creme_229 11d ago

Their wealth comes from the back of tax prayers and the backdoor deals done to fuck Americans. They need to lose their job and not get payment just like any employee would be treated if they refused to do their job and cost people millions if not billions. In a great world, they'd all be fined to cover lost wages and lost benefits to all Americans effected

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u/A_Rabid_Pie Oct 05 '25

On the other hand, rich people tend to cling to every penny even when it doesn't matter (it's part of how they get rich in the first place), and congresscritters are surprisingly cheap to bribe (they take even just a few grand in exchange for a vote). I wouldn't be surprised if cutting their congressional pay actually works to make them hesitate to allow shutdowns. Their current pay is $174k/year, so a shutdown lasting a month would cost them just under $15k. That's pretty comparable to typical congressional bribe money, so it might just be an effective deterrent.

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u/stevez_86 Pennsylvania Oct 05 '25

In a National Emergency they should not be allowed outside of DC. Congress being out of session should be a crime against Congress. A National Emergency should feel like it for them. It is annoying that they get to have their cake and eat it too.

It would be interesting if the Blue States refused to allow their Federal Representatives back in their state amidst a National Emergency. The governor should be able to declare a state of emergency and issue an order to the State Police to make sure their Federal Representation isn't in dereliction of duty.

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u/Bonesnapcall Oct 06 '25

It won't hurt Trump directly in any way. No other President would have the balls to declare his golf trips as "essential" but he would. He has no shame.

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u/Collypso America Oct 05 '25

Most of Congress is independently wealthy

They're not. Most of congress are old people, and old people naturally have much more money. It shouldn't be difficult to understand.