Don’t expect the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee to join the lead of the White House and other lawmakers in donating part of his salary in solidarity with federal employees hit by furloughs.
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., called the actions by President Barack Obama and members of his Cabinet “childish,” according to
The Hill. Inhofe said that giving back a portion of their pay “doesn’t really accomplish anything,” and is essentially a public relations move.
“(T)hey think it’s a plus, so they’re doing it,” he told reporters. “I probably will not follow their lead.”
As the budget sequester loomed in February, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he would take a pay cut equivalent to what civilian Pentagon employees would face with furloughs. His boss, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, said last week he would follow suit, and the next day Obama made the same pledge.
Several Cabinet members have since joined in, and even some Republican lawmakers have expressed support for the move. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Tuesday he will donate 10 percent of his salary to wounded veterans and 10 percent to the American Cancer Society.
The Hill surveyed senators last week and found some who said they would forgo portions of their salaries. They include: Sens. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.
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