Las Vegas Review-Journal: Are Nevada members of Congress getting paid during the shutdown?

A U.S. Senate amendment introduced this week proposes stripping Congressional pay during any government shutdown.

As the current shutdown approaches the one-month mark Saturday, several Nevada Congress members reached by the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Friday said they’re already not getting paid — by choice.

Donated, withheld pay

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s office said that she asked for her salary to be donated as the shutdown is ongoing, like she’s done previously.

A spokesperson said that the Democratic senator’s pay will be funneled into Nevada food banks.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, did something similar, according to a spokesperson.

“As she has done during every shutdown, Senator Rosen plans to donate her paycheck to nonprofits in Nevada,” the spokesperson wrote in an email statement. “She will be donating her paycheck to causes that Washington Republicans have put at risk: health care and Meals on Wheels.”

Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nevada, asked her salary to be withheld, according to a spokesperson.

“The congresswoman is not taking a paycheck during the shutdown,” a statement said. “She doesn’t want to be treated any differently than other federal workers who are furloughed or are essential workers still on the job. She and her staff are still on the job full-time.”

Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nevada, said that she, too, asked for her pay to be withheld.

“Members of Congress should play by the same rules as the people they represent. If federal employees aren’t getting paid because of this Republican shutdown, Members of Congress shouldn’t either,” Lee said in a statement. “Meanwhile, the President is tweeting about his new marble bathroom while 495,000 Nevadans are at risk of going hungry because of his decisions.”

The offices of Reps. Steven Horsford, D-Nevada, and Mark Amodei, R-Nevada, could not immediately be reached Friday for comment about their pay.

Republicans and Democrats have blamed each other for the expiring government funding Oct. 1. The stalemate has centered around subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.

Democrats argue that expiring health care appropriations will cause health insurance costs to balloon.