When I was growing up in Bangor, I learned the value of hard work, the importance of community and the responsibility of public service.
These are simple, common sense values that many of our leaders in Washington seem to have forgotten. If you’ve got a job to do, you do it. If you have a deadline, you meet it. When people are depending on you, you do your absolute best not to let them down.
This past October, for the third year in a row, Congress did not abide by these simple values, beginning another fiscal year without a budget in place. In fact, it has been over 1,000 days since Congress passed a concurrent budget resolution. That’s over three years without a clear fiscal plan to guide our nation into an increasingly difficult future.
It obviously isn’t enough to just talk about the need for bipartisan cooperation. We’ve all done that until we’re blue in the face, and they aren’t listening. Clearly, Congress needs more meaningful incentives to do its job, set priorities and pass a budget on time.
OK. If they can’t do their job, then they shouldn’t be paid.
This basic concept is the foundation of the No Budget, No Pay Act introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate in December. The bill will go before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee, on which Sen. Susan Collins is the senior Republican, on March 7.
The No Budget, No Pay Act is one of a dozen proposals by the citizen-based congressional reform organization, No Labels ( NoLabels.org), which advocates for common sense solutions to make a gridlocked and hyperpartisan Congress work.
At a time of economic struggle, we need our government leaders — in both Washington and Augusta — to put aside partisan point scoring and focus on getting the job done.
Congress had a job to do, but didn’t do it. Members had a deadline, but they didn’t meet it. The nation is depending on them, but members of Congress let them down.
When I worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget, my colleagues and I knew we had to make tough decisions about where to spend and where to invest, when to cut and when to say no. In preparing the federal budget we made those tough choices, and in these tough economic times, Congress must begin to do the same.
It’s time to let Congress know we are ready to hold them accountable to do their civic duty.
Sen. Collins is a member of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee and a leading voice on this issue. Please let her and Sen. Olympia Snowe and Rep. Chellie Pingree know that you support No Budget, No Pay (Rep. Mike Michaud is already a co-sponsor) and go to nolabels.org to ask them to support the measure and attend the hearing on March 7.
Former independent candidate for governor, Eliot Cutler is a No Labels Co-Founder and Chairman of OneMaine.
No Budget, No Pay= Common Sense!
There is a simple solution Mr Cutler, dont pay them ! If i dont do my work and get it done by the dead line i dont get paid.
No pay?? Oh dear, whatever will the millionaires in Congress do without their weekly paycheck?? I’m sorry, but I doubt this proposal will do much to end gridlock. Perhaps a law that states that if no budget is passed, the previous budget with a 10% automatic, across the board cut, will be instated. Now that might instigate some action.
Don’t be fooled. Eliot Cutler is a LIBERAL and so isn’t his new liberal group called “No Labels.”
And your point?
Um, Eliot? Michaud CO-SPONSORED it…
http://michaud.house.gov/press-release/michaud-no-budget-no-pay
But thanks for reminding people that you tend to inject yourself into discussions w/o knowing what you’re talking about. It’s almost as if you’re self-serving or something!
Perhaps I’m missing something, but Cutler says in parentheses (sp?) in his last paragraph that Mike Michaud co-sponsored the bill.
This bill, if passed, might not solve the nation’s debt crisis, but it’s one more small way to let Congress and the rest of the D.C. politicians know that people are fed up.
some people only see what they want to see ;>)
The original posting of the article did not mention it. It was changed, presumably after Michaud’s office contacted Cutler.
Yup, Congressman Michaud is a co-sponsor. Would have been nice to mention that Elliot, if…you know….you were trying to inform people as opposed to propping yourself up.
Uh…he did mention it.
The original article did not mention it. It has been changed. Glad to see it.
How about a resolution by both state parties that No Budget means incumbents will be turned out at the next election. Have to stop complaining about Congress while sending the same winners back time and again.
That, and term limits, might work if we had someone better to replace them with. It seems to me that we need to change the system so that honest, moderate people can get into politics and have a realistic chance of winning.
True, and I’m all for term limits, because they can’t limit their excesses themselves. That’s why I can’t imagine them sending a term limit amendment to the states, and I wouldn’t support a Constitutional Convention.
I like my idea better. Do your job or we tar and feather you.
Laughable. Millionaires not being paid.
Thanks Mr Cutler. Wish you had won.
Yeah right, only you forget Congress puts an exclusion at the end of bills for their own body. They are not going to do the right thing until there is a crisis and then they will “strike a deal”.