Unlike Ted Cruz, Todd Young Kept His Shutdown Pay Despite Telling Hoosiers He’d Refuse It

INDIANAPOLIS – As Congressman Todd Young campaigns with Senator Ted Cruz this morning, Hoosiers must be reminded of the time when Young joined Cruz in support of shutting down the federal government. But unlike Cruz, Todd Young failed to tell the truth about his shutdown salary.

Back in 2013, Congressman Young joined with shutdown architect Ted Cruz and voted to shut down the government five times—a shut down that left 23,000 Hoosier workers furloughed, including defense workers and veterans, and cost the economy more than $23 billion.

At the time, Young told Hoosiers he would refuse his pay for the shutdown. But earlier this year, it was discovered that Young misled his constituents and held on to his salary while Indiana families and the economy suffered. Scores other members of Congress, including Ted Cruz, kept their word by returning paychecks to the Treasury or donating them to charity. But Todd Young did what he always does—put himself first.

“By campaigning with his shutdown colleague Ted Cruz, Congressman Young has once again shown Hoosiers that he would put his party and himself before Hoosier families 100% of the time,” said Brooke Bainum, press secretary. “While others like Ted Cruz donated their paychecks, Congressman Young told Hoosiers he would withhold his pay, and then took it anyway while thousands of Hoosiers were furloughed. Young’s claims to bipartisanship are as authentic as Cruz’s love for “basketball rings,” and Indiana families will see through his out-of-touch political agenda.”

Congressman Young has left Hoosiers with many unanswered questions on his history of obstructionism, including:

– Why have you still not admitted to Hoosiers yourself that you kept your salary during the government shutdown in 2013?

– Why did you not, like Sen. Cruz, donate your shutdown salary to a local charity or give it back to the Treasury?

– Were you ever planning on refusing the shutdown salary, or was it simply a media stunt?

– Why was it okay for you to keep your salary while 23,000 Hoosiers were furloughed?

– After voting for the shutdown five separate times, why should Hoosiers trust that you won’t lead the efforts for more obstructionism in the Senate?

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