Boehner: Congress shouldn't be paid in event of shutdown

Boehner is 100% correct. If the government shuts down congress should not get paid. And obama sure in the hell shouldn't get paid, he shouldn't even be getting paid now.

During a shutdown, only the people who protect us should be paid. The Military, Police and Fire are about it. There may be some other essential folks that need to stay on the payroll.

Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but don't those non-essential employees who will be laid off get back pay when everything starts back up? I'm almost positive I heard that somewhere. If that is the case, it is dead wrong. If I get laid off because my company is way over budget, when things get back to normal, do you think they will give me pay for the time I was sitting around the house in my underwear? I kind of doubt it...

By Jordan Fabian - The Hill

Lawmakers should not be paid if the government shuts down, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Thursday.

Boehner expressed support for legislation that would prevent members from drawing a paycheck should Congress and the White House fail to reach a deal, by day's end Friday, to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year.

"Members of Congress are elected by their constituents. If there is a government shutdown, not only will Congress not be paid, but federal employees will not be paid," he said during an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

The Speaker's endorsement of the idea comes after a number of lawmakers urged leaders to adopt the principle this week.

Over 20 senators this week made public statements in favor of the idea, and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) even said he would donate his salary to charity or give it back to the Treasury if the government shuts down.

Both chambers have passed separate pieces of legislation cutting off lawmaker pay in case of a shutdown, but a single bill has not advanced through both chambers and been signed by President Obama.

"We’ll have to take a look at that," Boehner said.

"If Speaker Boehner were really serious about preventing Members of Congress from being paid during a government shutdown, he would immediately pass our ‘no budget, no pay’ bill," responded Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who sponsored the Senate's congressional pay bill.

During his wide-ranging interview with ABC, Boehner also expressed confidence both sides could eventually reach a deal on a 2011 budget.