By Chris Butler | Tennessee Watchdog
NASHVILLE — Tennessee’s two U.S. senators and five of the state’s nine U.S. House members are either not accepting pay during the federal shutdown or donating it to charity.
In the House, Democrats Jim Cooper and Steven Cohen and Republicans Chuck Fleischmann, Diane Black and Stephen Fincher are not personally benefitting from their salaries, Tennessee Watchdog has confirmed.
Representatives for three of the four remaining House members, Republicans Phil Roe, John Duncan and Marsha Blackburn, did not return a request for comment.
Republican Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Jaspar, however, still benefits from his salary, spokesman Robert Jameson said.
Scott DesJarlais is the only congressional representative that Tennessee Watchdog could confirm is still accepting a salary during the federal government shutdown.
Information about many of these representatives’ supplemental income outside of congressional service was unavailable, but the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported last year that Cohen, who announced he wasn’t accepting his pay during the shutdown, had other income in 2012. That other income includes $23,1114 a year in pension payments for his time as a state senator.
Black, meanwhile, is donating her $174,000 a year salary to Wounded Warriors during the shutdown, said her spokesman, Tom Flanagin.
Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander is donating his pay to charity, at least for now.
“Senator Alexander believes he shouldn’t be paid while the government is shut down, so he’ll be contributing his pay to charity for every day the government is closed,” said spokesman Jim Jeffries, although he did not specify which charity.
Bob Corker, Tennessee’s junior senator, also a Republican, never personally benefits from his salary, regardless, said spokeswoman Laura Herzog.
“He made a personal decision when he was first elected to have his salary go directly to the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, which distributes it to local charities,” Herzog said.
Contact Christopher Butler at chris@tennesseewatchdog.org.
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