Democratic Senator Tina Smith from Minnesota stated that she will continue to receive her government salary during the ongoing government shutdown. However, she mentioned that her office plans to return this salary.
In a conversation with the Daily Caller News Foundation, Smith expressed she doesn’t plan to forfeit her paycheck while she remains active in Congress despite the lack of federal funding. She took part in obstructing a proposal that aimed to ensure some federal workers, including Congressional staff and Capitol Police, receive pay during the shutdown—an action that took mere minutes.
When questioned about some of her fellow Democrats who have opted to defer or donate their paychecks until the shutdown concludes, Smith firmly replied, “I’m going to continue receiving my paycheck.” She emphasized the importance of ongoing negotiations to resolve the issues leading to the shutdown.
In terms of clarification, a spokesperson for Smith’s office mentioned that she might have had some misunderstanding regarding the original question and added that they had requested nearly two weeks prior for payroll to be deferred during the shutdown.
An email from Smith’s team, dated October 10, 2023, was reviewed by DCNF, requesting that senators’ salaries be garnished during this period. No additional details were provided by her office.
As federal employees faced their first full paycheck absence on Monday, members of Congress are guaranteed their paychecks due to constitutional protections. This is in stark contrast to nearly all Senate Democrats, who have opposed multiple spending bills from the House designed to fund the government, creating a stalemate that seems likely to persist.
When asked about their plans regarding their salaries during this financial impasse, the responses from Democratic lawmakers varied greatly. Some were visibly perturbed, while others were caught off guard.
Senator Ruben Gallego from Arizona had a quick reaction, moving on after being asked what he planned to do with his paycheck. He mentioned he was “still considering” it, as his staff did not receive their first full salary. While he acknowledged he could afford to miss a paycheck, he declined to comment on his staff working without pay.
Senator Mazie Hirono from Hawaii was also hesitant when asked about her paycheck, noting that she had previously withheld or donated her salary, but then pivoted to suggest that the focus should be on ending the shutdown. Senator Dick Durbin sidestepped the question of whether he received a paycheck, stating he’s experienced many shutdowns and has tried various approaches to address them. Meanwhile, Senator Patty Murray did not address the inquiry about her salary.
Conversely, some Democrats have indicated intentions to defer their payments or contribute to charity during the shutdown period. Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut stated he would donate his salary, as did Senator Mark Kelly from Arizona. Both of them refrained from outlining the intended recipients of their donations.
The Senate Majority Leader John Thune criticized the Democrats for hindering a bill that would pay essential federal workers during the shutdown, claiming they have blocked such payments on twelve separate occasions.
During the shutdown, over 300 federal workers who have been laboring without pay even stayed at the Capitol overnight to support a lengthy speech by Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon. On Thursday, Oregon Democrats voted against advancing a bill intended to compensate those workers.
Spokespeople from Hirono, Durbin, Murray, and Schiff did not provide comments before the publication.
