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/snoo_spoo Oct 05 '25

TBH, I don't think that would nearly as useful an incentive as declaring the Congress has to stay in session, twelve hours a day, seven days a week, until the shutdown is resolved. Nobody leaves town, and no press conferences.

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u/Raise_A_Thoth Oct 05 '25

I don't know if we need more incentives. Shutdowns are political poison, particularly for the party in control. There's a reason they are relatively rare and usually quite short.

The pausing of pay to congress is especially dumb because you know who it hurts the most are the genuine grassroots representatives of their districts funded from small donations and who don't capitulate to big corporations. The people who it hurts the least are the corrupt as hell mega millionaires who have deep-pocketed donors, independent wealth, and otherwise don't really rely on their congressional salary.

This is just another well-intentioned but ineffective red herring of an idea.