ICYMI: Lee Leading Efforts to Pay Our Troops, Withhold Pay for Members of Congress, and End the Republican Shutdown Nonsense
In Case You Missed It: Just two days away from a potential federal government shutdown, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) is fighting for common sense in the Capitol, as an extreme Republican House majority threatens to shut down the federal government, implicating numerous government agencies, the tens of thousands of Nevada jobs they support, and Las Vegas’s travel, tourism, and entertainment economy.
FIRST: Congresswoman Lee is leading efforts to ensure servicemembers and their families at Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases receive pay during a shutdown. Over 16,000 active-duty servicemembers in Nevada could go without pay as a shutdown drags on. That’s not to mention over 5,000 active-duty spouses and nearly 10,000 active-duty children that their paychecks help support. Additionally, civilian personnel and many defense-related contractors would likely be furloughed, and some support services like the commissaries would see their doors closed for the duration of shutdown.
That’s why Congresswoman Lee signed onto bipartisan Pay Our Troops Act to ensure Nevada servicemembers continue to receive paychecks, no matter how long a potential government shutdown lasts.
KSNV: Nevada Congresswoman wants active duty troops paid during government shutdown
If Congress can’t agree on a budget by 9 p.m. PT Saturday, active-duty military members at Nellis Air Force Base will have to report to work but will not receive a paycheck.
Unlike the government shutdown in 2018, there is legally nothing in place to protect troops and their families financially in case Congress can’t reach a new spending bill.
U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nevada, says she has co-sponsored a bill called "Pay Our Troops Act." If the bill passes into law, it will ensure active-duty military members will be paid.
Lee says until then, the commissary on base will be closed during the shutdown as well.
THEN: Congresswoman Lee signed onto the bipartisan No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act, along with the My Constituents Cannot Afford Rebellious Tantrums, Handle Your (MCCARTHY) Shutdown Act, both pieces of legislation to block Members of Congress from receiving paychecks during a government shutdown.
Las Vegas Sun: Nevada delegation in Congress decries looming shutdown
Lee told the Sun she sponsored legislation this week to reallocate funds to the U.S. Treasury to ensure active-duty service members continue to be paid during a shutdown, as well as two other bills that would stop congressional members from being paid when the government shuts down.
“If Congress can’t get the job done, then members of Congress should be treated like every other federal employee and not receive a paycheck as well,” Lee said.
NOW: As Nevada’s most bipartisan member of the House and Vice-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Congresswoman Lee is calling out Speaker McCarthy’s failure to work across the aisle and avert a government shutdown in order to please the most extreme, fringe members of his Republican caucus. You can watch and download her remarks from the House floor earlier this week here.
Last week, Congresswoman Lee joined her colleagues on the Problem Solvers Caucus in announcing a bipartisan framework to avert a government shutdown and fund the government through continuing resolution through January of next year. Yesterday, in a similar bipartisan effort, the Democratic-led Senate moved forward with a continuing resolution to avert a shutdown with the support of both Republicans and Democrats.
In contrast, earlier today, Republicans finally released their extreme continuing resolution, after being unable to reach consensus within their own party on the 12 traditional government funding bills over five months of debate. The Republican short-term proposal slashes funding for cancer research, fails to fund disaster support for communities from Maui to Florida, defunds local law enforcement, takes away nutrition assistance from millions of American families – and has zero chance of ever passing into law and allowing our country to avert the chaos of a Republican shutdown. That became even more true when just an hour ago, McCarthy’s extreme bill failed to even secure enough votes within his own party.
KNPR: Nevada Dems slam Republicans ahead of possible government shutdown
Congresswoman Susie Lee, on the house floor, blasted these Republicans for "holding the country hostage." She said she spent the weekend talking with her constituents in Las Vegas about the potential impact of a shutdown and thinks the Republicans should hear what this will mean to “real people.”
“Maybe those members should have spent the weekend talking to the thousands of TSA workers who are going to be forced to work without pay," she said. "Or the 53,000 women and children in Nevada whose vital nutrition assistance will be put in jeopardy. Or the tens of thousands of Nevadans whose Medicare and Social Security inquiries will be put on hold.”
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