Letter to the editor: Congress should forego pay during shutdowns

OPINION:

It seems that Democrats have forgotten why the Department of Homeland Security was set up in the first place.

It was to end the systemic failures that led to agencies’ refusal to cooperate, communicate and coordinate, contributing to 9/11. So why are the Democrats making demands that would weaken the agencies? Once again, they appear to disregard the likely economic consequences of their actions.

My friend, a single mother employed by the Transportation Security Administration, did not receive her paycheck Friday. I had to help her pay essential bills. Despite being a Democratic voter, she struggles to understand her party’s leadership actions.

Perhaps if Congress passed legislation requiring that its members’ paychecks be withheld when federal funding is blocked because of policy disputes — as is the case for federal employees — they would be more motivated to reach agreements.

The Democrats’ rhetoric continues to overlook voters’ needs, and it lacks clear priorities and any sense of loyalty.

How do they justify publicly criticizing giving steak and lobster to our soldiers while they remain silent on issues such as fraud in Minneapolis and the sympathetic broadcast of a four-minute message straight from Iranian state TV?

It used to be that leadership in the House and Senate understood that funding the federal government was not to be held up by political differences. In our modern political landscape, however, pressure from social media and legacy media outlets persuades members to undermine the administration’s agenda. No wonder public support for Democrats is at an all-time low.

I am not sure what I can tell my friend to help her feel better about her loss of pay and her mounting bills. Would asking her congressional representative for a donation help? I doubt it, because they avoid any contact with voters in between elections.

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Democratic voters need to speak up and demand that congressional members stop imposing economic suffering on us simply because they dislike our president. How does this make life more affordable for the rest of us?

GREG RALEIGH

Washington