Schilling Challenges Bustos To Honor Promise, Donate $34,800 to Veterans Charity

Press Release

Bobby Schilling (R-Colona) is challenging incumbent Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-East Moline) to follow through on her promise to give up 10 percent of her pay by donating $34,800 to a veterans charity of her choice.

"Promises made should be promises kept," Schilling said. "When I ran for Congress, I promised to reject the congressional pension and health care plans, vote against all pay raises for legislators, and lead by example--these are promises I kept. Congresswoman Bustos promised to reject 10 percent of her pay--that amounts to $34,800--but she has failed to do that. Today I am challenging Congresswoman Bustos to do the right thing and donate that $34,800 to a veterans charity of her choice. Not only would that be a worthy cause and an appropriate use of the money, but it might also help Congresswoman Bustos start to repair her relationship with veterans after she voted to cut $6 billion to benefits for disabled veterans and their families last year."

Following the revelation earlier this week that Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-East Moline) kept her shutdown pay--despite telling the media she gave it up last October--audio has now surfaced from a September 10, 2012 editorial board interview with the Chicago Tribune that reveals Bustos promised to give up 10 percent of her salary if elected to Congress. But despite this promise to one of the most reputable newspapers in the country, Bustos has not given up a dime of her $174,000 annual salary, according to the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives.

To contact the Chief Administrative Officer's office, contact CAO communications director Dan Weiser at 202-226-6660.

When the subject matter in the joint editorial board meeting turned to Bobby Schilling's effort to lead by example in Washington by rejecting the congressional pension and health care plans, Bustos suggested that she would push a proposal previously made by Bobby Schilling to cut legislator pay 10 percent.

When the editorial board asked what she would specifically do to have "skin in the game," she promised to give up 10 percent of her pay--regardless of whether the proposed legislation ever passed.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Will Cheri Bustos follow through on that promise? Will she give up the $34,800? Hard-working taxpayers are waiting for her response.

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