Thirty-nine days have passed since the government shut down, and one of the first incentives to reopen the government came in the form of Florida Senator Rick Scott’s (R) No Budget, No Pay Act, barring Congress workers from collecting paychecks.
Democrat lawmakers have blocked the passing of Scott’s bill, continuing to pay for senators and representatives as military, FAA, and TSA workers go without pay.
“Democrats just BLOCKED the passage of my No Budget, No Pay Act and CONFIRMED they care more about their own paychecks than the paychecks of our troops and federal law enforcement. Dems don’t care about the shutdown because THEY still get paid!” Scott shared on X.
The Florida Senator has attempted to pass his bill since 2019, following the previous shutdown under President Trump. The bill has gained more relevance since then.
“I ran on a plan to make Washington work better for families, which included my No Budget, No Pay Act, and I’ve been fighting to get this passed since I got here in 2019 and have been met with resistance from many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle,” Scott expressed in an address to the Senate.
In that same address, Scott argues that the “Democrats have thrived on dysfunction,” placing more debt on the U.S. due to government expansions and raising taxes.
“Democrats have thrived in dysfunction and have fought endlessly to keep the status quo," the Republican Senator claimed. "They’ve passed massive spending bills after massive spending bills. Raising taxes and expanding government. Putting us $38 trillion in debt and running $2 trillion deficits. Now Democrats are using this same dysfunction to shut down the government.”
“They’re prioritizing their own liberal wish list over the needs of the American people," Scott further claimed. "And they’re more than happy to deprive federal workers, TSA, FAA, and law enforcement of their paychecks while members of Congress still get their own paychecks.”
Scott concluded his argument by emphasizing problems with Congress and how they continue to receive pay despite exhibiting poor work performance.
“The last time Congress passed all 12 appropriations bills on time was nearly three decades ago. Congress has failed, time and time again, to do one of its basic duties," he expressed. "This is the problem with Washington - any working American will tell you that if you don’t do your job, you don’t get paid. But in Washington? Members of Congress consistently fail one of our basic duties of funding the government on time and still get a paycheck.”
