By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Congresswoman Martha Roby (R) from Montgomery on Thursday vowed to forgo her congressional salary if a government shutdown affects the pay of men and women of the United States Armed Forces.
Last week the Republican controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a Continuing Resolution C.R.) that would have prevented a shutdown by fully funding the government but removing funding for implenting the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare.
Despite efforts earlier this week by Senators Ted Cruz (R) from Texas, Mike Lee (R) from Utah, and Jeff Sessions (R) from Alabama to talk the Democratic Party controlled U.S. Senate our of passing its own CR fully funding the implementation of Obamacare the Senate CR appears poised to pass the Senate. A partial government shutdown could occur on Tuesday if the two sides can’t come to some sort of an agreement because the current spending authorization expires at midnight on September 30 in order to avoid a government shutdown.
Rep. Roby said in a written statement, “I’m hopeful that there won’t be a government shutdown, and the Continuing Resolution we passed last Friday would prevent it. Even as the Senate deliberates, I remain optimistic that we can arrive at a solution before it’s too late. However, if there is a government shutdown that interrupts salary payments to our troops, my salary should stop as well.”
Roby said that if that fails, “I have instructed the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives to hold my salary for any day that our troops would go without regular pay due to a government shutdown. This is Congress’ problem to fix, and as a Member of Congress, I don’t believe I should be paid while gridlock in Washington forces our military families to go without.”
Rep. Roby concluded, “Voters sent me to Washington to solve problems, not become part of them. I will continue to work toward a responsible solution that funds government operations, protects Americans from the impending train wreck that is ObamaCare and ensures our military families don’t go one day without pay.”
On Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner (R) from Ohio said that the House will not pass the Senate CR that implements Obamacare; but that he would be willing to discuss passing a continuing resolution if the implementation of the individual mandate is delayed a year.
Consumers who do not purchase federal government approved healthcare insurance either directly or through their employers will be charged a penalty on their income taxes of either $90 or 1% of their adjusted gross income, whichever is greater, and the penalty increases in year three of implementation.
The government has not passed an actual budget during President Obama’s presidency. Instead the House and Senate periodically pass continuing resolutions to keep funding the government like it is being funded and debt ceiling increases so that the federal government can keep borrowing money from the Federal Reserve which creates new money to buy the treasuries in a process that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke terms quantitative easing.
Congresswoman Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District.
