Can Congress stop paying the salaries/expenses of the Executive Branch?

[IdaBriggs]

Just curious -- I'm a little sleep deprived, and I was wondering if, since Congress controls the purse strings, they can stop paying the salaries of either SPECIFIC people, or even the entire administration.

I am sure there are ways around it if they did it, but it might be a nice way to demand accountability from this administration --

Don't want to answer questions under oath? Don't collect a paycheck!

Don't want to keep your "visitor records" public? Don't collect a paycheck!

Etc.

The "big wigs" probably wouldn't hurt that much, but I wonder how their lower level staff members would feel about losing their health benefits, etc. while their bosses were destroying the constitution....

I'm feeling spiteful. Sigh. I'm really tired. These people work for me?

I want them fired!

[rwenos]

1. Good Idea, But . . .

Congress probably could cut the President's salary. But so what? There would be a line a mile long of influence-peddling lobbyists waiting to give the President money.

He makes shit money anyway - $200k a year, which sounds like a lot to you or me, but ain't much if you compare it to, say, running Spectrum Oil into bankruptcy, then selling the shares to one of Poppy's cronies.

[IdaBriggs]

3. I am aware of the Money Laundering done by the Bush family.

(A million dollars for a bankrupt company with $17K in assets -- several times? Yeah, right!)

However, aren't there currently laws on the books about the size of "gifts" that these people can receive WHILE IN OFFICE?

[rwenos]

6. So They Find Secret Ways to Transfer Funds

Most of the people in the current Administration are rich fucks anyway. "I just started living on my investments."

It would be easy to get around.

[alittlelark]

2. That is a GREAT question....

I'm about as tired as you now, but in the AM I'll spend some time on the question.

[Hosnon]

4. At first glance:

The Constitution is silent (I think) about Executive salary, i.e., the President and the Vice-President (the only two offices that are solely within the Executive branch) do not have to be compensated.

However, agencies are Legislative/Executive hybrids. Any of those agency employees probably must get their salaries from Congress.

In any event, it would probably be a bad precedent to set.

[Jack Rabbit]

5. No

Constitutional checks and balances include a provision prohibiting Congress from changing the President's salary while he is in office.

[Hosnon]

7. I quickly checked and couldn't find anything about this in the Constitution.

Are you saying it is a Constitutional principle or a checks and balances principle?

[rwenos]

8. Got a Cite?

I'm not challenging you. I'd just like to find it in the Constitution.

[RB TexLa]

10. Article II Section 1

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.articleii.html#section1

The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them.

[Jack Rabbit]

12. Thank you.

I just came back to post that.

[rwenos]

13. Thanks! nt

[IdaBriggs]

17. So, does that include the "perks" like the Secret Service, etc.?

I just got an hour and a half, so there really isn't an excuse, but I yearn to have him be afraid of being accountable in some way....sigh....

Babies are stirring -- best to go feed them....:)

Thank you for the cite, etc.! )

[L. Coyote]

9. Good question for the WH to think about. Remember Iran-Contra?

Can't they just sell missiles to the Iranians again :rofl:

Some of those perps are working in this administration. They know who to call!

Are the Sandinista terrorists on the Texas border yet? Rhetoric to haunt Freeepers.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x503712#504746

[MonkeyFunk]

11. probably not

they'd have to pass a bill, and it would be vetoed.

But even if they could, doing so would be seen as ridiculously childish and would certainly backfire.

[Sanctified]

14. Even if they did it would not matter...

People do not become President or Vice President for the crappy salaries. They do it to reward their corporate cronies who will later lavish them with money once they are out of office.

Look at Mitt Romney he has said that if elected he will donate his Presidential salary to charity. Now either he is a true believer and a dedicated statesman (yeah right) or he knows that once he is president he will get to dish out tons of pork to friends and Corporations and will make a ton of money after he leaves the office.

[peacetheonlyway]

15. spiteful and tired..

exactly.

these assholes work for me and idabriggs.

what he said and then some more.

let's cut their budget tomorrow.

ok..

i'm going to bed now..

get some sleep idabriggs. these buttheads are not worth it..

[snot]

16. I doubt the salaries are the main gain to these guys. nt