Letter to the editor: No pay for Congress during shutdown

The resolution introduced Oct. 29 by Sen. Lindsay Graham should be brought before committee and voted on immediately. The resolution proposes “an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring Members of Congress to forfeit their compensation during Government shutdowns.”

This is a critical piece of legislation because it raises the question of whether our elected officials are willing to relinquish their compensation while the American people suffer. There should be no debate about this resolution, as the people in Congress serves us the American people. This means that when times are tough and there is uncertainty, our elected officials should do the right thing: come together on an agreement that benefits all Americans, not those who will make them popular in the polls. There should be no backstabbing in the press or the flow of a falsified unifying message disguised as a blame game toward the other side.

Right now, millions of Americans are financially struggling. Forty million people are wondering if they will receive their SNAP benefits. The military may go without pay. Federal workers are performing their jobs without pay. So, if the common person goes without pay, it is only fair that those in power who caused it follow suit. Maybe then the government will not be shut down for weeks on end.

Ashton Caldwell

Cheswick