Senators vote to dock their own pay during future shutdowns
the Senate unanimously approved a resolution that will stop paying senators during future government shutdowns. The move, backed by both party leaders, comes after multiple record-length funding lapses and marks a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation amid broader political gridlock during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Sen.John Kennedy (R-LA) designed the change to address the optics of lawmakers getting paid while many federal workers-including some of their own staff-may not. the policy takes effect in November to comply with the Constitution’s 27th Amendment limits on changing lawmakers’ pay during an ongoing election cycle. Under the plan, senators’ paychecks would be withheld and held in escrow until the government reopens, reflecting a “shared sacrifice” strategy aimed at reducing the chances of future shutdowns. The House would not be automatically covered, though similar legislation has been introduced and Speaker Mike Johnson indicated support depends on building consensus.
Senators will no longer be paid during future government shutdowns after unanimously approving a resolution precipitated by two record-breaking lapses in federal funding.
In a show of bipartisan support, the Senate adopted the measure Thursday by voice vote. A day earlier, it advanced 99-0 and had the public backing of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and his Democratic counterpart, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
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Passage of the measure marked a rare break from the partisan gridlock that has defined much of President Donald Trump’s second term in office. Republicans are still in the process of reopening the Department of Homeland Security, which shuttered more than two months ago over Democratic opposition to the agency’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.
An even larger swath of government was closed for 43 days last fall due to a separate dispute with Democrats over Obamacare subsidies.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), is designed to address the political optics of lawmakers receiving paychecks as other federal employees, sometimes including their own staff, go without pay. The circumstance is due to both a quirk in the Constitution and a permanent allocation for lawmakers’ salaries dating back to 1983.
“We ought to hide our heads in a bag,” Kennedy said in a Wednesday floor speech. “It’s got to stop. Shutting down government should not be our default solution to our refusal to work out our issues and our differences.”
The legislation is also premised on the hope that withholding senators’ salaries will decrease the chances of future shutdowns. Senators would still get paid, but their paychecks would be held in an escrow account until the government reopens.
The change does not take effect until November, a decision meant to comply with the 27th Amendment’s prohibition on changes in lawmaker salary before the next election.
“This is about shared sacrifice,” Kennedy added. “This is about putting our money where our mouth is.”
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The House is not bound by the resolution, though companion legislation has been introduced there, too, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) previously told the Washington Examiner that he’ll “see what consensus we can build on it.”
The Senate vote came after months of Kennedy pressuring GOP leadership, and Thune eventually agreed as part of negotiations over DHS funding.
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