1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

The ongoing government shutdown has left hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay, including essential workers who continue to serve our nation. This situation is unacceptable and demands immediate action. I urge you to support legislation that would halt Congressional pay during shutdowns and ensure immediate compensation for essential federal employees. It is unconscionable that members of Congress continue to receive their salaries while federal workers miss paychecks. Most civilian federal employees have now missed their second paycheck due to this shutdown. If Congress cannot fulfill its basic duty of keeping the government open, its members should not be paid. This would align Congressional interests with those of the American people and create a powerful incentive to resolve shutdowns quickly. Furthermore, essential federal employees who are required to work during shutdowns should be paid immediately for every hour worked since the shutdown began. The Shutdown Fairness Act, recently proposed by Republicans, attempted to address this issue but failed to advance in a 53-43 vote. While this bill had support from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), it lacked sufficient bipartisan backing. I call on you to work across the aisle to craft and pass legislation that achieves two critical goals: First, immediately halt and withhold Congressional pay during any government shutdown, with no retroactive pay upon resolution. Second, guarantee immediate payment to all essential federal employees for hours worked during a shutdown. The impact of these measures would be significant. It would demonstrate that Congress is not above the consequences of its actions, restore faith in our democratic institutions, and provide much-needed relief to hardworking federal employees who continue to serve despite not being paid. Time is of the essence. With the Senate expected to remain in session over the weekend, there is an opportunity for immediate action. I urge you to prioritize this issue and work tirelessly to end the current shutdown while implementing these crucial reforms to prevent future shutdowns from harming federal workers and our nation's functioning.