One of Ohio’s two Republican U.S. Senators has proposed a bill that would slap a daily tax on members of Congress during a government shutdown, like the one that started this week.
The Stop Holding Up Tax-Payers, Deny Wages on Washington’s Negligence (SHUTDOWN) Act from U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) would levy a $500 tax on each representative and senator daily for sessions during a shutdown. Moreno said in an interview the shutdown is "grossly irresponsible" and that "we have to feel it when we don't do our job".
Moreno said the bill doesn't violate the 27th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which bans current members of Congress from raising or lowering their own salaries. The amendment states: "No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives."
“That's not what we're doing. What I'm proposing is an additional income tax that, in effect, charges members of Congress $500 a day that they lose permanently," Moreno said. "They don't get the money back. It's not a ‘hold my paycheck and then retroactively pay me’. This is, as every day goes by you lose $500. It's 100% constitutional because it's an income tax. It's not a removal of pay.”
Republicans control the House, the Senate and the White House, and President Trump has said in the past that presidents should be held responsible for government shutdowns. But Moreno said since five more Democrats are needed to pass a spending resolution in the Senate, the Democrats are responsible for the shutdown.
"We cannot pass a continuing resolution. We cannot fund the government without the help of Democrats," Moreno said. "I wish I could snap my fingers and we can get rid of five, six, seven Democrats and replace them with Republicans. But virtually every Republican is united in passing a budget that 13 times in a row, Democrats have voted for."
President Trump posted on his social media site that Democrats have given him "an unprecedented opportunity" to make cuts that may be temporary or permanent. He also shared on X a video showing Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought as a "reaper". Moreno said while Republicans don't want this, it could happen.
“If this goes on for a long period of time, we will have no choice. The Congress has not appropriated money to fund approximately 20-25% of the discretionary budget of the United States of America. So if you're in charge of the Office of Management and Budget, you have no choice. You have to make structural, long term changes, and that means massive reductions in force," Moreno said. "Look, this is not something Republicans want. If Republicans wanted it, Republicans would be voting to shut down the government. But virtually every Republican voted to keep the government open."
Ohio officials have said that so far, no services that depend on federal funding have been affected by the shutdown and probably won't be for at least two weeks.
