WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Republican Senator Rick Scott (Fla.) led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Congressional leaders urging leaders to include in the end-of-year spending package language that prevents members of Congress from getting paid if spending bills are not passed.
“If members of Congress fail to do their jobs, then they should not get paid. I’ll keep reaching across the aisle to fix a broken Washington and deliver for Arizona,” said Sinema, who has consistently sponsored the No Budget, No Pay Act since she was elected to Congress.
In their letter, the bipartisan lawmakers indicated that passing spending bills and keeping the government running are basic duties of Congress. At the beginning of this year, the United States suffered the longest government shutdown in its history – hurting Arizona families and workers who continued to work without pay.
The bipartisan No Budget, No Pay Act was part of the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, which was approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee this year. This bipartisan legislation halts paychecks for all House and Senate members if they miss the deadline for government spending bills. Sinema sponsored similar legislation in the 113th, 114th, and 115th Congress.
The full text of the letter is available HERE.
