Members of Congress and members of the White House staff have their own health insurance plan and are paid regardless of the government shutdown. Consequently, they feel no personal pain when the government is not in business. This needs to change. They should not have their own health plan but should be in Medicare or in the private health care market. Also, they should not be paid during a government shutdown and in fact should be docked about three times their missed salary when everyone in government is not working. Only then will government officials in Washington think hard before they even think of closing down the government.
CRAIG L. FOURNIER
Webster