Lawmakers May Still Get Paid in a Shutdown .

[Playinghardball]

Source: Wall Street Journal
By DEVLIN BARRETT And NEIL KING JR.

WASHINGTON—About 800,000 federal workers would be sent home without pay if Congress fails to negotiate a budget deal by Friday night. But whether lawmakers would require themselves to take the same medicine is unclear.

Under House rules, lawmakers have the authority to determine who on their staffs would remain at work as "essential'' employees and who would be furloughed during a shutdown.

Lawmakers would continue to get paid during a shutdown, unless the full Congress voted otherwise. Both the House and Senate have voted to suspend their own pay during a shutdown, but as part of legislation that has not passed the other chamber.

On Thursday, some lawmakers said they didn't believe they should keep their salaries during a shutdown. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, urged his colleagues to return such pay to the Treasury or give it to charity. "I can't imagine that the president, vice president or any member of Congress—Republican or Democrat—thinks they should get paid when the government has shut down," Mr. Manchin said.

Read more at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704101604576249171408943678.html

[katty]

1. o yes they always do, it's called: unemployment compensation

they willingly stop doing THEIR own work at THEIR jobs and expect the taxpayers to PAY THEM FOR THAT.