Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) supports the government shutdown, but claims that she needs her paycheck. She has announced that she won’t give up her pay unless the shutdown is still going on after November 1.
Video from WTVD in Raleigh, NC:
When she was asked yesterday about refusing her paycheck during the government shutdown, Rep. Ellmers said, “The thing is I need my paycheck. That’s the bottom line, and I understand that maybe there are members who are deferring their paychecks and that’s admirable. I’m not in that position.”
This comment set off a firestorm, because Ellmers supports shutting down the government unless Obamacare is delayed.
Rep. Ellmers managed to put out a statement today that actually managed to make things worse. Ellmers announced that she will give up her pay, but only if the government shutdown that she supports lasts beyond November 1.
In her statement, Ellmers blamed Harry Reid and Obama for the shutdown:
We did everything we could to avoid a shutdown but Harry Reid has closed the door at every turn. I am working tirelessly to fight for my constituents and the American people. It is Harry Reid who has caused federal employees to be furloughed. All he has to do is appoint conferees and come to the negotiating table so we can resolve our differences. I believe that as we get closer to the federal government running out of money, President Obama and Senator Reid will have to negotiate with us. Based on this timeline, I believe these issues will be resolved before November 1st. However, in the unfortunate event that they do not come to the table, I will stand with all federal workers and have my paycheck withheld.
Today I sent a letter to the House Chief Administrative Officer, asking that my paycheck be withheld while the government is shutdown. I have been fighting against this shutdown everyday and will continue to work to ensure that President Obama and Senator Reid come to the negotiating table and work with us to provide a reasonable solution to this that ensures we act responsibly for all Americans.
No one expects the shutdown to last past the deadline for raising the debt ceiling on October 17, so Rep. Ellmers demonstrated her solidarity with federal workers by picking a date far enough in the future to insure that she won’t miss a paycheck.
What about the 800,000 federal workers who didn’t get to pick the date when they could stop working and their paychecks would stop coming? What about the workers that were deemed essential, so they are still working without pay? I’ll bet they wish that could have been given the option to decide when they would like their paychecks to stop.
Rep. Ellmers gave up nothing. While millions of Americans are wondering how they are going to make ends meet thanks to the government shutdown that she supports, Ellmers is still getting paid. Her selfish comments are more proof that House Republicans don’t care about the people that they are hurting with this shutdown.
The Republican message is that they are more important than regular working people. Unlike those lowly federal workers, they really need their paychecks.
I hope North Carolina voters remember Ellmers’ comments, and give her a permanent furlough from the House of Representatives on Election Day 2014.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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