The majority of New York’s congressional representatives are staying tight-lipped about whether they are still collecting their salaries as over 100,000 employees of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) endure their second week without pay due to the ongoing partial government shutdown.
Thus far, only two congressional offices from the Empire State have responded to inquiries from The Post regarding their stance on accepting their substantial salaries while DHS workers, including Coast Guard personnel and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners, face the reality of missed paychecks.
Among them, Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) stands out as the only one whose office indicated that he would forego his salary during the shutdown.
“Pat’s policy is to not take paychecks during shutdowns,” a spokesperson for the congressman from the Hudson Valley confirmed.
Meanwhile, Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY) did respond but chose not to disclose whether she would be taking her $174,000 salary during this period.
In a statement, the representative for New York’s 4th District emphasized the need for ongoing negotiations: “The White House and Congress must continue to negotiate in good faith to pass meaningful bipartisan reforms of ICE and end the DHS shutdown. Until then, I’m fighting to relieve the shutdown’s impacts on our frontline federal workers, including TSA agents and FEMA staff, and pass the Pay Our Troops Act to ensure members of the Coast Guard don’t miss a paycheck.”
The 26 other members of New York’s delegation, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and all seven Republican House members, did not respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
“Why would Chuck Schumer and Democrats who continuously shut down government think their own paychecks are more important than the members of the Coast Guard and TSA agents who keep families safe every single day?” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) told The Post.
Scott, who has donated his salary his entire time in the Senate, has pushed legislation that would prevent members of Congress from being paid until both chambers approve a budget resolution and pass all regular appropriations bills for the fiscal year.
“My No Budget, No Pay Act says that when Congress fails to do the most basic part of its job – by funding the government – and force a shutdown, members should feel the same consequences they’re inflicting on others,” the senator said.
In the same vein, Sen. Bernie Moreno’s (R-Ohio) SHUTDOWN Act would penalize members of Congress by imposing a daily tax during a government shutdown.
“Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries want to get paid for shutting the government down,” Moreno said in a statement.. “That’s ridiculous. If Congress can’t do the bare minimum, we don’t deserve a paycheck.”
Moreno’s office declined to say whether the senator is accepting his paycheck amid the DHS shutdown.
New York politicians who did not respond to requests for comment on withholding pay include Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
On Tuesday, Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) formally requested that the financial clerk of the Senate withhold his salary until the partial government shutdown ends.
“I cannot in good conscience accept a paycheck while TSA officers, FEMA personnel and Coast Guard members are about to miss theirs,” Husted said in a statement. “ I will withhold my salary until a bill is passed to reopen the government.”
The latest lapse in federal funding – which began on Valentine’s Day – marks the third time this fiscal year that DHS has shut down.
Roughly 120,000 DHS employees are working without pay as Democrats and the White House remain seemingly far apart on a deal to fund the department, Semafor reported earlier this week, citing internal numbers compiled by the Trump administration.
About 140,000 DHS employees are still getting paid, according to the outlet, including immigration and law enforcement officials funded by last summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Democratic leaders are demanding guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who are still being paid amid the shutdown, as a condition for funding DHS.
