Amid Government Shutdown, Entire Kansas Congressional Delegation Halting Their Paychecks

The entire Kansas congressional delegation is voluntarily halting their own paychecks amid the government shutdown, according to the Kansas Reflector.

All 6 members will not take their checks for the extent of the shutdown, including U.S. Representative Derek Schmidt of the Second District, who was quoted by the Kansas Reflector as saying “the whole situation is so unnecessary and very frustrating.” The U.S. Senate and House members will miss out on $14,500 a month, part of their $174,000 yearly salaries.

Alongside Schmidt, those members include U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, U.S. Rep. Tracy Mann of the First District, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids of the Third District and U.S. Rep Ron Estes of the Fourth District.

Marshall, in a recent interview, said breakthrough could occur Nov. 1 because air traffic controllers and members of the military were due a paycheck. He said political pressure could be “the seminal moment that pushes us forward" per the Reflector.

The federal budget dispute that’s holding this shutdown also poses a threat to recipients of SNAP, which delivers food aid to approximately 187,000 people in Kansas. It risks suspension of funding for WIC, the program for Women, Infants and Children that provides healthy food, breastfeeding support and nutrition education to about 50,000 Kansans.