(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Georgia, said he is forgoing his pay while the government is partially shut down, and he wants Georgia’s Democratic congressional delegation to do the same.
Calling the impasse the “Schumer Shutdown,” Carter said Democrats were prioritizing health care for illegal immigrants over the “needs of American citizens.” He sent the letter to U.S. Reps. Nikema Williams, Sanford Bishop, Hank Johnson, Lucy McBath and David Scott.
“I strongly urge you do to the same and donate your salary to hardworking Georgians who have been impacted by your vote to shut down the government,” Carter said in the letter sent Thursday.
The letter did not include Republicans Brian Jack, Rich McCormick, Austin Scott, Andrew Clyde, Mike Collins, Barry Loudermilk, Rick Allen or Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Carter is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. He is facing Collins in the Republican primary. Collins has not offered to forgo his salary, but has blamed Ossoff and Warnock for the shutdown in social media posts.
“Stop serving Schumer and start serving Georgians,” Collins wrote on social media while naming Ossoff and Warnock.
Ossoff has reportedly said he will forgo his pay, according to a published report. But Ossoff has not said so in any social media posts.
The deadlock between the two parties continued on Thursday, the second day of the shutdown.
“Don’t ask the Republicans what we should be doing or what we should be negotiating. I don’t have anything to negotiate,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Thursday. “I sent them in good faith exactly what they had voted for before.”
Democrats say they are holding out for a provision that would stop the increase in Affordable Care Act Health Care premiums.
Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock said premiums would rise dramatically.
“Republicans in Washington did this,” Warnock said. “This is what I’m fighting to stop. This is what’s at stake in this shutdown fight.”
