Mark Caserta: Congress should not get paid during a government shutdown.

With no retroactive pay once reopened!

Regarding Congress using government shutdowns as a political weapon—holding America hostage and creating hardship for innocent citizens just to force one side to cave for votes—

The American people have had enough.

Given opportunity, I would support a constitutional amendment allowing the withholding of pay from members of Congress whenever the U.S. government is shut down and for the full duration of that shutdown.

The Twenty-Seventh Amendment, while well-intentioned, has become outdated in light of the repeated failure of elected officials to fulfill their most basic responsibility: keeping the government functioning.

If the American people must bear the consequences of a government shutdown, members of Congress should share in that burden.

I would also support removing the ability of members of Congress to vote to increase their own salaries. Decisions regarding congressional pay should be determined by an independent process, not by those who directly benefit from it.

Mark Caserta – Candidate for West Virginia House of Delegates – Wayne County D-28

http://www.markcasertawv.com