U.S. Rep. Tim Moore gives update on government shutdown; voices his concerns

U.S. Rep. Tim Moore, District 14

Cleveland County’s U.S. Representative, District 14, Time Moore said he won’t accept his paycheck while the government shutdown is in effect.

In a recent press release, Moore addressed the current state of the government shutdown. He also discussed getting military service members paid and a judiciary bill he introduced in congress in the wake of the recent murders of Iryna Zarutska and Logan Federico by habitual felons being released in North Carolina.

“Our federal government remained shut down this week as Senate Democrats voted multiple times against a clean continuing resolution to reopen it,” explained Moore in his statement. “This bill, already passed by the House, has no policy changes or cuts, just a continuation of the same funding levels through November.”

He said that congressional democrats keep refusing to vote yes to open the government. Stating Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and the democrats are using it for political gain.

Moore noted that for 1.3 million families, many only have their military paycheck to cover their bills, which might not be paid by the next deadline on Oct.15.

He then mentioned his belief congress should not get paid if the military doesn’t get paid.

“If Congress doesn’t do its job, we shouldn’t get paid. It’s that simple,” Moore said. “This week I introduced the No Budget, No Pay Act, which would make sure Members of Congress don’t receive their salaries unless both chambers pass a budget and all the appropriations bills on time.”

What Moore didn’t mention was the introduction of a bill goes nowhere unless enough votes in both he House and the Senate vote to pass it on to President Trump's desk, and the shutdown could end before this happens.

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Moore criticized the red tape and mud of congress to accomplish anything budget-wise, stating, “As a member of the House Budget Committee, I’ve seen how broken the process has become. Instead of following regular order — submitting a budget, debating and voting on each appropriation bill — Congress has defaulted to continuing resolutions and giant omnibus bills that nobody has time to read. That’s no way to govern.”

“I’ve already asked the House to withhold my own pay during this shutdown, and I believe every Member of Congress should be willing to do the same,” he added.

Moore said he was a cosponsor of the Pay Our Troops Act of 2026, led by Rep. Jen Kiggans. This bill ensures that no matter what is happening in Washington, American service members continue to receive their pay and benefits.

Moore then moved on to mention soft-on-crime policies that were a direct cause for a recent string of high-profile murders in Charlotte.

Last week, Moore introduced the Judicial Accountability for Public Safety Act to hold judges accountable when they release violent criminals who go on to commit more crimes.

He stated he was concerned about “Soft-on-crime magistrates and judges who continue to put repeat offenders back on the street, often with tragic consequences. This isn’t a problem with law enforcement. It’s a problem with a justice system that’s failing to prioritize public safety.”

This bill creates a narrow legal path for victims or their families to bring civil action against judges who act with gross negligence or clear disregard for the danger posed by a defendant.

“When judges let dangerous repeat offenders walk free despite knowing the risks, and someone gets hurt or killed, there has to be accountability,” Moore stated. “We’ve seen too many cases, like the killings of Iryna Zarutska and Logan Federico, that were completely preventable if their murderers had been behind bars where they belong.”

“The judicial systems in Democrat-run cities that favor criminals over victims are failing innocent Americans,” Moore added, in closing. “This legislation is the first step to making sure judges do their jobs and put public safety first.”

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Chuck Thompson is a reporter for The Shelby Independent.