if our government is shutdown then no elected official should be paid or have any fringe benefits what so ever. this means no web senator or congress person shoul collect any pay in any form , period while the government is shut down. if the people are not getting paid then neither should the men and women we the people elected to represent us the people. starting from the president to the least of the elected officials. ( our forefathers did not serve for financial gain, they served because they cared about the country and our people ).