NJ Congresswoman-Elect Refuses Pay Until Government Shutdown Ends

A U.S. congresswoman-elect from New Jersey is throwing in her lot with nearly 20,000 federal employees in the state who aren’t being paid because of the ongoing government shutdown.

On Wednesday, Rep. Mikie Sherrill – who will soon become the first Democratic party member to serve in New Jersey’s 11th District in decades– sent a bombshell request to Chief Administrative Officer Phil Kiko… don’t pay me until the shutdown is over.

“As a former federal employee, I have seen firsthand how prior government shutdowns have imposed needless financial burdens on hardworking individuals and their families,” Sherrill wrote. “For this reason, I respectfully request that my pay be withheld until the lapse in appropriations that commenced on December 22, 2018, ends, and the federal government is fully reopened.”

The salary for most members of the U.S. House of Representatives is $174,000 per year, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Democrat and Republican leaders have been waging a budget battle that escalated over the holiday season. President Trump is sticking with his demand for money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and Democrats, who take control of the House on Jan. 3, are refusing to give him what he wants.

• See related article: GOP, Democrats Trade Blame For Shutdown, No Deal In Sight
• See related article: House Democrats Unveil Plan To Fund Government, But Not A Wall

Sherrill said that New Jersey is home to about 20,000 federal employees who provide vital services and support to the state.

“As a direct result of the government shutdown, thousands of federal workers across New Jersey are now either working without pay or furloughed,” Sherrill said.

Several comments soon emerged in support of the congresswoman-elect’s pay boycott. Seen online:

• “So proud of you and your identification with your constituents. Hope there are no delays with swearing in tomorrow because of the shutdown. Remember not one cent for ridiculous useless wall. No middle ground with our precious limited funds.”
• “Thank you for leading by example!”
• “Good first day!”
• “Truly putting your money where your mouth is. Glad I voted for you, and that you have principles.”

Sherrill isn’t the only federal lawmaker to voluntarily refuse pay during the ongoing government shutdown.

Earlier in the month, French Hill, the U.S. Representative for Arkansas's 2nd congressional district and a former senior official in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, confirmed that despite the shutdown, members of Congress will continue receiving their salaries.

"Please withhold my pay until an appropriations agreement has taken effect," Hill, a Republican, wrote. "I cannot in good faith accept my pay when our federal employees will not receive theirs."

Last week, Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono said that she will donate the salary she receives during the government shutdown to Hawaii’s 14 federally qualified community health centers. (Story continues below)

Sherrill – who replaces retiring Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen – is the first Democratic party member elected to represent the district since the mid-1980s. A former federal prosecutor and Navy pilot, she’s the first woman to ever hold this seat.

Sherrill’s victory was crucial to the national Democratic party, which was counting on the district to help them regain control of the House. A Republican stronghold for the past several decades, GOP support had been waning in the 11th District prior to the 2018 General Election.

Previously voting for Republican presidential candidates by double-digit margins, Trump won the district by just one percent, and a recent poll found that a quarter of voters were less likely to vote for Sherrill’s opponent, Jay Webber, due to his support from Trump.

The 11th District covers most of Morris County, and parts of Sussex, Essex and Passaic counties.

• See related article: Mikie Sherrill Picks Senior Staff, Readies For Congress
• See related article: Democrat Sherill Beats Republican Webber, Flips GOP Seat In NJ
• See related article: Mikie Sherrill vs 'Big Money Politics': PAC Endorses Democrat

With previous reporting by Katie Kausch, Patch staff

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Photo: Mikie Sherrill For Congress / YouTube