The unanimously approved resolution would withhold senators’ salaries during federal shutdowns beginning after the 2026 midterm elections, though lawmakers would receive back pay once funding is restored.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The United States Senate unanimously approved a resolution Thursday that would suspend senators’ pay during federal government shutdowns, a move supporters say is designed to increase accountability during budget standoffs.
The measure was introduced by John Kennedy and passed by voice vote on May 14.
Under the proposal, senators’ salaries would be withheld whenever a government shutdown disrupts operations at one or more federal agencies. Compensation would be released only after Congress restores government funding.
Kennedy said the resolution aims to discourage repeated shutdowns and force lawmakers to share in the financial consequences experienced by federal workers during funding lapses.
“Shutting down government should not be our default solution to our refusal to work out our issues and our differences,” Kennedy said during remarks on the Senate floor. “This is about putting our money where our mouth is.”
The resolution is scheduled to take effect only after the November midterm elections in order to comply with the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibits immediate changes to congressional pay until after the next House election.
Kennedy originally sought immediate implementation but revised the measure to address constitutional concerns.
During debate, Kennedy also accused Democrats of potentially using a shutdown ahead of the elections to create political instability.
The resolution follows multiple lengthy government shutdowns over the past year that disrupted federal agencies and delayed pay for many government employees.
One recent partial shutdown affecting the United States Department of Homeland Security lasted 76 days, reportedly the longest funding lapse ever involving a federal agency.
That shutdown occurred shortly after a separate 43-day closure affecting the broader federal government.
While many federal employees temporarily lose pay during shutdowns, members of Congress continue receiving salaries because congressional compensation is constitutionally protected.
Previous efforts to address the issue have included proposals for constitutional amendments.
Lindsey Graham previously argued lawmakers should permanently lose pay during shutdowns through a constitutional amendment process.
“If members of Congress had to forfeit their pay during government shutdowns, there would be fewer shutdowns, and they would end quicker,” Graham said during an earlier funding dispute.
Because constitutional amendments require approval by three-fourths of the states, Kennedy instead pursued a Senate procedural resolution that temporarily withholds — rather than permanently eliminates — compensation.
Kennedy said lawmakers have often publicly pledged to refuse pay during shutdowns but argued that voluntary gestures are insufficient.
“This would make shared sacrifice official policy,” he told reporters after the vote.
The measure applies only to senators and does not affect members of the United States House of Representatives.
Kennedy acknowledged ongoing tensions between the two chambers while discussing the proposal.
“There’s a very strong undercurrent of animosity among some of my friends in the House,” Kennedy said. “It’s quickly becoming like two kids fighting in the back of a minivan.”
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