• Senators Heitkamp, Hoeven donate paychecks to ND charities during shutdown

• Cramer refuses to donate salary, takes pay while veterans and seniors are hurt

• ND Republican Party Executive Director disagrees with Cramer’s position

• Cramer complained that $174,00 salary doesn’t leave him much disposable income

(BISMARCK, ND) – Chad Oban, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, released the following statement after news that freshman Congressman Kevin Cramer is keeping his paycheck despite not doing his job.

“Congressman Kevin Cramer’s self-serving decision to keep his pay during a shutdown he created is so mind-boggling that even his own party won’t defend him,” said Oban. “Congressman Cramer’s reckless and irresponsible decision to shut down the government and keep his own pay as veterans and seniors are hurt can’t be defended by his own party now and won’t be tolerated by North Dakotans in 2014.”

BACKGROUND:

Senators Heitkamp and Hoeven Are Donating Their Government Paychecks to North Dakota Charities During the Shutdown While Cramer Continues to Take His Government Paycheck. North Dakota’s U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp and John Hoeven both plan on donating their pay during the shutdown to North Dakota charities. Senator Heitkamp says she doesn’t think it’s fair that members of Congress will still be getting paid during the shutdown. In contrast, Representative Kevin Cramer said he’ll be working and getting paid until a bill is finalized. [KFYR, 10/1/13]

North Dakota Republican Party Executive Director “personally” wouldn’t take the pay. Earlier this morning, KFGO host Joel Heitkamp asked Jason Flohrs, North Dakota Republican Party Executive Director, the following question: “Let me ask it to you this way, if you were in that position in Congress would you take the pay?” Jason Flohrs: “Well this is where I bring my wife in about how much money she spends and I might be force too, but…but I would have a hard time taking that pay personally.”

Cramer Complained that His $174,000 Congressional Salary Doesn’t Give Him Much Disposable Income. In an August 2013 interview with the Great Plains Examiner, Cramer complained that his $174,000 congressional salary doesn’t give him much disposable income. [Great Plains Examiner, Page 3, August 2013]

North Dakota’s families hurt by Cramer’s refusal to seek common-sense solutions:

• Headline: North Dakota Guard sends 430 employees home in shutdown [Jamestown Sun, 10/1/13]

• Headline: North Dakotans feel pinch of shutdown [Bismark Tribune, 10/1/13]

• Headline: Shutdown would slow oil development [Jamestown Sun, 10/1/13]

• Headline: Shutdown dries up funding for WIC, leaving 23,000 ND in need [WDAZ, 10/1/13]

Reuters: Social Security Claims Could be Delayed. “The impact on the Social Security and Medicare entitlement programs is unclear. Delays could be seen in processing new claims, congressional researchers said.” [Reuters, 9/18/13]

OMB: Shutdown will Cost $2 Billion. “And why everyone should care: a shutdown will cost, not save, taxpayers’ money. A study from the Office of Management and Budget puts the overall economic price tag for a shutdown around $2 billion.” [ABC News, 9/29/13]

Ezra Klein: “A Government Shutdown Will Cost Us Billions.” “To understand what Congress is risking every time it nears a shutdown, consider what past ones have cost. In 1996, the Office of Management and Budget tallied the two major shutdowns of the decade at about $1.4 billion. Adjusting for inflation would bring that total to more than $2 billion in today’s dollars…” [Washington Post, 9/23/12]

Small Business Loan Approvals would be Suspended. “One department where workers would likely have to hunker down while the shutdown plays out is the Small Business Administration, which, among other things, approves applications for loans to small businesses. These services would probably be suspended in a shutdown…” [ABC News, 9/21/13]

Administration for Community Living “Would not be able to Fund” Elder Abuse and Senior Nutrition Programs. “ACL would not be able to fund the Senior Nutrition programs, Native American Nutrition and Supportive Services, Prevention of Elder Abuse and Neglect, the LongTerm Care Ombudsman program, and Protection and Advocacy for persons with developmental disabilities.” [Dept. of Health and Human Services Contingency Plan, accessed 9/30/13]

Government Shutdown to Compromise Public Health. At the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Director Francis Collins said about 200 patients who otherwise would be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center for clinical trials each week will be turned away. This includes about 30 children, most of them cancer patients. In the event of a government shutdown, 70% of NIH’s employees will be furloughed, the NIH Clinical Center would stop accepting new patients, and for each month an impasse lasts, more than 800 new patients would be deferred admission. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) labs will be closed, and national flu disease surveillance would be suspended just as the beginning of flu season hits. [Washington Post, 9/30/13]

(END)

The post Kevin Cramer Keeping His Paycheck While Refusing to Do His Job appeared first on North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party.

From: Dem-NPL News