[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 136 (Friday, October 4, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H6241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SHUTDOWN

  (Mr. BARROW of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARROW of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, in my district, thousands of 
government employees are being forced to work without pay. Thousands 
more have been laid off. All because Congress can't get its act 
together long enough to do our most basic job: to keep the government 
running. They're ready, willing, and able to do their jobs, but can't--
because Congress has failed to do its job.
  Folks back home ask me: Why do you get paid, but we don't?
  We're told that the Constitution requires that Members of Congress 
get paid, whether or not they do their job. I think that's wrong, and I 
have introduced legislation to change it. While folks at home don't get 
paid, I don't think we should get paid.
  I'm not talking about asking the Clerk to sit on our checks until 
after this is over; that's no sacrifice. That's why I'm donating my pay 
to the Augusta Warrior Project for the duration of the shutdown. I'm 
giving it to folks who can use it, and I'm calling on all of my 
colleagues to do the same.
  It's about accountability, Mr. Speaker. If Members of Congress didn't 
get paid for not doing their job, maybe they would appreciate those who 
do their job a little bit more.

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