Boxer: ‘Appalling’ and ’embarrassing’ the House won’t take up bill halting congressional pay in case of shutdown

“Speaker Boehner has not done one thing to make sure his members and he do not get paid in case of shutdown,” added Boxer. “I think it’s appalling, it’s embarrassing and I am just stunned.”

Boxer touted the bill that she had passed by unanimous consent in the Senate on March 1, claiming that it was a rare bipartisan issue.

“So here is a bill that passed without a dissenting vote, basically 100 to nothing at a time that we cannot even agree on the color of that wall,” said Boxer indicating a wall in the Senate chamber.

Several senators, however, did object when she brought up the amendment last month but allowed it go through in order to move forward on the underlying legislation, which was the Patent Reform bill.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), for example, spoke out against the legislation but dropped his official objection to allow the Senate to move forward.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) also scolded Boxer at the time for presenting an amendment that he said was unconstitutional.

Leahy pointed out that the Constitution explicitly states that the president’s salary “shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected.”

“The Constitution specifically prohibits that,” Leahy told Boxer.

Boxer said Tuesday that she was pressing for the legislation to be sent to the president because she believes “people should be treated equally.”