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Most of New York’s congressional delegation is declining to say whether they’re still cashing paychecks as more than 100,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees have gone unpaid for a second week amid the partial government shutdown.
Only two Empire State congressional offices responded to The Post’s inquiries about whether their bosses are continuing to accept their six-figure salaries while Coast Guard members, Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) screeners and others employees within the DHS umbrella brace for missed paychecks.
Rep. Pat Ryan’s (D-NY) office was the only one that signaled their member wouldn’t accept pay.
“Pat’s policy is to not take paychecks during shutdowns,” a spokesman for the Hudson Valley congressman said.
Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY) responded but declined to say if she would be accepting her $174,000 salary.
“The White House and Congress must continue to negotiate in good faith to pass meaningful bipartisan reforms of ICE and end the DHS shutdown,” New York’s 4th District rep said in a statement. “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.
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