We reported last week that Republican Congresswoman Renee Ellmers would be accepting pay during the government shutdown because she said she needed her paycheck.
Well, the public spoke and now Ellmers has changed her mind. She will not be accepting a check during the shutdown.
On CNN Friday morning, Ellmers elaborated on her earlier comments, saying she needs her paycheck to meet her financial obligations.
Ellmers’ husband is a surgeon, but according to data compiled by OpenSecrets.org, a website run by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, she’s among the least wealthy members of Congress, with a negative average net worth over the past three years.
Nonetheless, Ellmers’ Facebook page blew up Friday morning with thousands of angry comments about her decision.
Among the rest of the state’s congressional delegation, Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan and Reps. David Price, Patrick McHenry and Robert Pittenger all say they’ll donate their pay during the shutdown to charity. None immediately identified which charity the money would go to.
