Jared Hudson is Right. Congress Must Feel the Pain it Inflicts on the American People.

I want to begin by thanking Navy SEAL veteran and US Senate Candidate Jarred Hudson for saying what millions of Americans feel in their gut: members of Congress should not collect one red cent in salary while the government is shut down. Jarred has put it plainly, from the perspective of someone who has actually lived sacrifice, worn the uniform, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with those who put their lives on the line for our freedoms. His call is powerful and correct, and I am proud to stand with him.

It's time to call all members of the Senate and House. Every one of you keeps getting paid while ordinary Americans suffer. You've all found ways to point fingers, posture for cameras, and retreat to closed-door meetings. Only a few of you have had the courage to do what Jarred Hudson just called for: forgo your pay until the government reopens.

Think about the absurdity of the situation. When Washington politicians fail to do their job and the government shuts down, who pays the price? It's the American people. It's the federal workers sent home without paychecks. It's the small businesses waiting on contracts that never arrive. It's the military personnel, the Border Patrol agents, the law enforcement officers, and the air traffic controllers; the men and women we count on to keep us safe are expected to keep serving without pay. Yet Congress? They keep cashing their checks, smiling for the cameras, and blaming the other side. That is not just hypocrisy, it is moral bankruptcy.

Jarred hit the nail on the head: no work, no pay. If you can't keep the government open, you don't deserve a paycheck. Congress needs to feel the same pain it inflicts on ordinary Americans. When the doors of government close, the wallets of Congress should slam shut right along with them.

And let's call this what it is. Washington has become an aristocracy: insulated, entitled, and utterly disconnected from the people they serve. The Founders envisioned citizen-leaders, not career politicians living high off the taxpayer while delivering nothing in return. Every day this stalemate drags on, Congress proves just how broken the system has become.

Jarred spoke from the heart as a veteran. I want to amplify his words as someone who has fought in the political trenches: this issue isn't Republican versus Democrat. It's right versus wrong. Members of Congress must put their country before their self-interest. They must live under the same rules they impose on everyone else. The American people should demand it; loudly and without compromise.

If the brave men and women of our military, our border patrol, our police, and our first responders can continue to serve this nation without pay during a shutdown, then surely the politicians who caused the mess can do the same. Frankly, I'd go further: maybe if Congress felt real financial pain every time they failed to pass real budgets, shutdowns would not be an issue.

So thank you, Jarred, for your clarity and your courage. Your voice reminds us what service and sacrifice truly mean. Now it's time for every single member of Congress to step up - or step aside. The American people have had enough of excuses.

No work. No pay. No exceptions.

Perry O. Hooper Jr. is a former state representative, a current member of the Alabama Republican State Executive Committee, the 2016 Trump Victory Chair, and is a widely published political columnist.

Opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alabama Gazette staff or publishers.