[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 185 (Sunday, November 19, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17471-S17472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           CONGRESSIONAL PAY

  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today on an issue that is related to 
this shutdown, and that is the issue of pay. I want to express my very 
deep disappointment that we have not been able to bring up the 
legislation which I proposed that would treat the pay for Members of 
Congress and the President in the same manner the pay is being treated 
for Federal employees who are currently working and who will find their 
paycheck is suspended during this period of a shutdown.
  I worked on this legislation in conjunction with the Senate majority 
leader, who supports it, and with Senator Boxer, who proposed similar 
legislation for future shutdowns. I wanted to be sure that this issue 
also applied to this current shutdown, so my legislation would make it 
retroactive.
  I have 24 Members of the Senate who support this legislation, who 
have cosponsored it. Besides myself, the Senate majority leader, 
Senator Boxer, Senators Thomas, Warner, Kempthorne, Grassley, McCain, 
Cohen, Abraham, Chafee, Jeffords, Pressler, Nickles, Simpson, Specter, 
Hutchison, Domenici, DeWine, Kassebaum, Brown, Craig, Coats, and 
Harkin.
  Here we stand today. We have had a session yesterday and we had a 
session today and we will have sessions tomorrow, hopefully, to resolve 
this shutdown.
  In the meantime, there is a tremendous disparity between Federal 
employees who are working, like our staffs, and other Federal 
employees, and those, of course, who are furloughed, and Members of 
Congress and the President. You might ask, what is the disparity? The 
fact is, Members of Congress will not face any disruption in their pay, 
yet those Federal employees who are working are going to face a 
disruption. Their pay will lapse during this period of time.
  You might ask, why such a discrepancy? That is a very good question. 
That is why I proposed this legislation. Unfortunately, we cannot reach 
a consensus among all Senators about bringing this legislation up for 
immediate consideration. I find it somewhat ironic, because at the 
beginning of this Congress, setting off in a new direction and a new 
course, the very first bill that this Senate and this House considered 
was the Congressional Accountability Act. That would require that the 
laws that apply to the rest of society would also apply to the U.S. 
Congress.
  I cannot think of a greater example than right here, where we could 
put our money where our mouth is. Yet, unfortunately, we are back to 
the same old procedures and business as usual. We are still preserving 
the status quo when it comes to how Members of Congress are treated, 
and the President, vis-a-vis the rest of society. In this case, it 
happens to be Federal employees.

  I would think every Senator would support this legislation. After 
all, hundreds of thousands of Federal employees and their families are 
going to face serious economic disruption, hardships, inconveniences. 
Yet Members of Congress will not. I do not see the equity in such an 
example. I do not see the fairness. I do not see the responsibility. 
Because each of us, individually and collectively, has a responsibility 
to this institution and to preserving the integrity of this 
institution.
  The very thing we should be preserving is the public's confidence in 
the way we do business. Obviously, it has 

[[Page S 17472]]
suffered during this current shutdown. But, at the very least, we can 
say yes, we are going to face similar problems, similar inconveniences 
as to those Federal employees who will find their paycheck has lapsed. 
Unfortunately, we are not going to find that unless this legislation is 
brought up for immediate consideration and ultimately passed.
  Unfortunately, as I said, we have objections from others who do not 
support this approach. I find that remarkable, given the conversations 
I have had with Federal employees and even my own staff, in what they 
are going to be facing because they will not have the assurance of a 
steady paycheck.
  There are many people who have to live paycheck to paycheck. I think 
at the very least we ought to be setting an example, and not setting 
ourselves apart as somehow isolated from the problems that are 
associated with this current Government shutdown.
  As the Senator from Arizona was just saying, Senator McCain, what 
about the businesses--the many businesses, the hotels and the 
restaurants that are associated, that depend on Federal employees 
working, whether it is here or the Grand Canyon? They will never 
recover their losses.
  So what we are saying here is at least we ought to be experiencing 
some problems as a result of this shutdown, the same problems that 
others are experiencing, and certainly with respect to Federal 
employees. Tomorrow is another payday period. Again, there is a 
difference between how Members of the Congress and the President are 
being treated versus Federal employees. The difference will be that 
those Federal employees who are working currently will see a reduction 
in their pay, but Members of Congress and the President will not.
  I hope, Mr. President, that we will find on our calendar this 
legislation because I think it is important to provide confidence in 
this institution, and the direction this country is taking, but also to 
restore the public's trust in its elected officials. And I hope that we 
will try to set an example by sharing in the same undue burdens that 
are being placed on Federal employees and their families. Those same 
burdens should be placed on Members of Congress and the President.
  So I hope that every Member of this body will consent to providing 
for the consideration of this legislation on the calendar tomorrow.
  I yield the floor, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. BROWN. Thank you, Mr. President.

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