Rep. Malliotakis on Government Shutdowns and Lawmaker Pay

Government Shutdown Concerns

• ⚠️ The Office of Management and Budget is reportedly preparing for mass firings of federal workers, a move that goes beyond typical temporary furloughs.
• 🎯 During a government shutdown, the executive branch becomes more empowered, which is seen as counterintuitive to the stated goal of holding the administration accountable.

Bipartisan Stalemate and Funding Levels

• 📌 Both sides of Congress appear entrenched, making compromise difficult to achieve.
• 💡 Continuing existing funding levels is presented as the easier, bipartisan path, but Democrats are accused of creating chaos by caving to left-wing outside groups.
• 🇺🇸 The speaker emphasizes the need to prioritize people over politics and notes that entering a shutdown makes it significantly harder to resolve.

Lawmaker and Staff Pay During Shutdowns

• 💰 Rep. Malliotakis supports deferring lawmakers' paychecks if government staff members are also not being paid.
• ✅ She believes pay should be withheld across the board, stating that it should not be different for members of Congress.
• ⚖️ While acknowledging that lawmaker pay is constitutionally required, she supports the idea of withholding pay until the shutdown is over.