Poliquin Refuses Taxpayer Salary During Shutdown

2nd District Congressman Bruce Poliquin, who voted to avert a government shutdown, will be refusing any salary from taxpayers while the government and critical services to Mainers remain unfunded.

Poliquin also announced he will be donating the money to the Good Shepherd Food Bank, a statewide charity in Maine.

“While Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate hold the government hostage over politics, Mainers are the ones who lose,” said Congressman Poliquin. “It is outrageous that anyone in Congress continues to collect a paycheck while critical services and the federal government remain unfunded, and I will not be accepting a dime while this dysfunction in Washington goes on.”

Congressman Poliquin is an original cosponsor of the Pay Our Protectors, Not Our Politicians Act, legislation to withhold pay for Members of Congress during a lapse in government funding.  The Congressman will be donating the withheld money to the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Maine.

Additionally the bill ensures members of the military and national security employees within the Department of Homeland Security receive pay during a government shutdown.

Today, Congressman Poliquin is meeting with lawmakers to work on ways forward.

Congressman Poliquin voted to avert this government shutdown. He has never voted to shut the government down since being sworn into Congress.

In September 2015, as a government shutdown seemed to be possible, Congressman Poliquin joined a letter urging for the government to be funded. The national news publication POLITICO reported at the time the letter joined a “chorus of moderate GOP voices” urging opposition to a government shutdown.

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