The 27th Amendment has no effect on withholding pay, just changing that pay.
What I was laughing at is not that the 27th is in any way an impediment to this Republican idea but that it would seem that the current interpretation of the 27th is that the Amendment will allow for increases in pay but not a reduction in that very same pay.
As I have said so many times before....If it were not for the double standard, Democrats/Liberals would have no standards at all.
The 27th Amendment has no effect on withholding pay, just changing that pay.
What I was laughing at is not that the 27th is in any way an impediment to this Republican idea but that it would seem that the current interpretation of the 27th is that the Amendment will allow for increases in pay but not a reduction in that very same pay.
As I have said so many times before....If it were not for the double standard, Democrats/Liberals would have no standards at all.
Withholding pay would be a change. The 27th says nothing about only applying to pay increases and no pay at all is quite the pay decrease (it also says nothing about pay changes having to be permanent). What Congress would have to do is pass a law stating that prolonged lack of progress (to be defined) on a major issue results in the withholding of pay until that issue is resolved. Then once a new House election takes place, the law takes effect and the dreamed of pay withholding can not only happen legally but would be automatic requiring no further legislation.
Withholding pay would be a change. The 27th says nothing about only applying to pay increases and no pay at all is quite the pay decrease (it also says nothing about pay changes having to be permanent). What Congress would have to do is pass a law stating that prolonged lack of progress (to be defined) on a major issue results in the withholding of pay until that issue is resolved. Then once a new House election takes place, the law takes effect and the dreamed of pay withholding can not only happen legally but would be automatic requiring no further legislation.
What I would do on a temporary basis, i.e., via the rules of the House and Senate, not by law, withhold pay till a stated event happens....such as, a budget goes to and is signed by the President...then all pay withheld would be freed up and go to the Members and Senators.
What I would do on a temporary basis, i.e., via the rules of the House and Senate, not by law, withhold pay till a stated event happens....such as, a budget goes to and is signed by the President...then all pay withheld would be freed up and go to the Members and Senators.
You still risk a Constitutional challenge and 500+ people, all of them powerful, not being payed will mean a Constitutional challenge from someone. You also have to rense and repeat every time there is deadlock. My way avoids the Constitutional challenge (a good thing because if your withholding was struck down, it could never be tried again) and would require no further action.