Quigley Statement on Pay Raises for Senior Trump Administration Officials
Quigley: The President’s Reckless, Ego-Driven Shutdown Isn’t the WH’s Own Personal Pay Day
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), who serves as Chairman-designate of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Appropriations,released the following statement in response to reports that the White House will use the government shutdown to usher in new raises for the Vice President and senior political appointees. The Financial Services Subcommittee oversees the Executive Office of the President.
"With over 800,000 federal employees left stranded without pay, it is shameful that the White House would even consider using the shutdown as their own personal pay day," said Rep. Quigley. "This reckless, ego-driven failure to lead is not an opportunity to dole out raises for the Vice President and the President's inner circle. On top of an irresponsible shutdown, which has now surpassed two weeks, President Trump has decided to kick federal workers while they're down by issuing a pay freeze throughout the government. It's outrageous that those in the White House believe they can hold themselves to a different standard, and their disconnect with the American people is truly staggering. As Chairman-designate of the Appropriations Subcommittee with oversight over the Executive Office of the President, I strongly urge the White House to back off of its despicable attempts to line their own pockets as the American people are suffering from—and distracted by—a shutdown of the President's own making."
According to reporting from the Washington Post, Vice President Pence would receive a raise of roughly $14,000, with other senior officials expecting to receive up to $10,000. When lawmakers failed to pass several agency funding bills on December 21, they allowed an existing pay freeze to lapse. Congress enacted a law capping pay for top federal executives in 2013 and renewed it each year. The raises will occur because that cap will expire without legislative action by Saturday, allowing raises to kick in that have accumulated over those years but never took effect, starting with paychecks that will be issued next week.