Van Hollen Foregoes Pay During Shutdown, Cardin Does Not

Maryland's U.S. senators are split on whether to keep cashing their own paychecks during the partial government shutdown.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen isn't accepting his paychecks, while Sen. Ben Cardin is, according to their respective offices.

"Senator Cardin is highly mindful of the pain and uncertainty felt by excepted employees who are working without receiving paychecks, as well as furloughed federal workers," Cardin spokeswoman Sue Walitsky said in an email. "For this reason, he is fully engaged in substantive efforts to end the shutdown immediately. He was the chief sponsor of the bill that passed the Congress and is awaiting the president’s signature that would guarantee federal workers will be paid retroactively upon the conclusion of this and future shutdowns. He also is continuing his work to spotlight publicly the consequences of the very real human effects of the shutdown throughout Maryland and the country. He will not be foregoing his pay as he does so."

Many federal employees are feeling the pinch as payday came and went last Friday with $0 pay stubs.

"Senator Van Hollen has instructed the Financial Clerk of the Senate to treat him like any other federal employee impacted by this shutdown and to withhold his paycheck until the government has been reopened and civil servants have received their back pay," Van Hollen spokeswoman Bridgett Frey said in a statement.

Last week, Van Hollen co-sponsored legislation that would protect workers impact by a shutdown from eviction, foreclosure, repossession or other consequences of missed bill or loan payments or insurance premiums.

Besides Van Hollen, CNN reports more than 70 federal lawmakers are foregoing pay during the shutdown, including Maryland Reps. Dutch Ruppersberger and David Trone.

The dedicated federal workers should not suffer because of this pointless #TrumpShutdown. I'm cosponsoring legislation to ensure the 800,000 affected civil servants are paid retroactively. And I'm asking the government to withhold my own pay until they receive theirs. — Dutch Ruppersberger (@Call_Me_Dutch) December 28, 2018