Senator Joe DonnellyU.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly has shut down his six field offices throughout the state and transferred all calls to his Washington, D.C. office until the federal government shutdown is resolved. He’s also furloughed 33 of his 40 aides and plans to donate the paycheck he receives while the government is shut down to either a charity or the U.S. Treasury. Fellow Sen. Dan Coats and U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski have both asked that their pay be withheld during the shutdown. Salaries for House and Senate members as well as the President are protected under the Constitution. Coats has furloughed about half of his aides, according to the Indianapolis Star.
Donnelly’s office has also delayed all constituent services until the government is running again. These include everything from tours of his office during visits to Washington, D.C. to help with grant support and requests for flags flown over the nation’s capitol.
The ongoing partisan battle between Republicans in the House and Democrats in the Senate over whether to push back implementation of Obamacare is to blame for the shutdown.
