Retiring Democratic Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said she will receive her government salary during the shutdown — only for her office to walk it back.
Smith told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Thursday that she would not forgo her paycheck because she continues to work in the Capitol during a lapse in government funding. She helped block legislation to pay some federal employees — including congressional staff and Capitol Police who are working unpaid — minutes later.
“I’m going to continue to take my paycheck,” Smith replied when asked about some of her Democratic colleagues choosing to defer their pay until the shutdown ends or donate it. “I continue to work and I think the solution here is to end the shutdown by getting the negotiations going so we can solve the problem.”
The DCNF asked Smith’s office for additional comment and a spokesperson replied that Smith may have been “confused by the question.” The spokesperson added that Smith’s office asked to defer her paycheck for the duration of the shutdown nearly two weeks ago.
The DCNF reviewed an email Smith staffers sent to the Senate Disbursing Office on Oct. 10 requesting the senator’s paycheck be withheld. The letter was dated Oct. 10, 2023. Smith’s office did not provide further details.
Senate staff missed their first full paycheck on Monday. Federal employees will not receive salary at the start of their next pay period beginning Friday.
Lawmakers, however, are guaranteed their salary checks due to Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution protecting their pay.
Nearly all Senate Democrats have voted against a House-passed bipartisan spending bill to fund the government on 12 separate occasions. The shutdown is expected to drag on to next week with no resolution in sight.
The DCNF has asked Democratic lawmakers what they planned to do with their paychecks during the funding lapse.
The question has angered some Democrats and left others speechless.
“Are you on this again?” Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego replied to the DCNF when asked what he planned to do with his paycheck. He immediately moved on to another reporter’s question.
Gallego told the DCNF he was “still evaluating” what to do with his salary on Monday — the same day his staff missed their first full paycheck. He declined to discuss his staff working unpaid during the shutdown.
The Arizona Democrat previously told NBC that he could not afford to miss a paycheck. Lawmakers earn a base salary of $174,000 per year with those in leadership positions receiving additional income.
Some junior staffers on the Hill make less than a third of that salary.
Democratic Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono declined to say whether she has deferred or chosen to receive her paycheck.
“I have done that in the past, so that’s definitely something I would contemplate,” Hirono said when asked about her colleagues placing their paychecks on hold or donating their salary.
Hirono then pivoted and suggested reporters should be asking different questions.
“We should be focused on ending the shutdown and the Republicans should be focused on that,” Hirono told the DCNF.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin dodged whether he has received his paycheck during funding lapse.
“I’ve been through every one of these shutdowns, and I’ve tried it every way,” Durbin, who represents Illinois in the Senate, replied.
Washington Sen. Patty Murray declined to comment when asked whether she has taken her paycheck during the shutdown.
Her colleague California Sen. Adam Schiff declined to speak to the DCNF.
A handful of Democrats told the DCNF they had either deferred their salary checks or planned to donate them for the duration of the funding lapse.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he would be donating his salary to charity. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly said the same. Both declined to share details about the intended beneficiaries.
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said he would be donating his salary to a federal employee relief fund.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who is deferring his paycheck, slammed Democrats on Thursday for filibustering legislation to pay essential federal employees during the shutdown.
“Twelve times now, Democrats have blocked just paying our federal employees,” Thune said on the Senate floor. “It’s federal employees all throughout the federal workforce, which literally is millions of Americans.”
“But it’s people right here,” Thune continued.
More than 300 federal employees working unpaid during the shutdown stayed overnight in the Capitol earlier this week to accommodate a 22-hour speech from Democratic Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, who spent the duration raging against the Trump administration.
The Oregon Democrat voted against advancing legislation to pay those employees during the shutdown on Thursday.
Spokespersons for Hirono, Durbin, Murray, and Schiff did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment before publication.
Andi Shae Napier and Caden Olson contributed to this report.
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