{"id":2601730,"date":"2026-05-12T13:58:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T17:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-blesses-push-to-block-senator-pay-during-government-shutdowns\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T14:01:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:01:52","slug":"thune-blesses-push-to-block-senator-pay-during-government-shutdowns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-blesses-push-to-block-senator-pay-during-government-shutdowns\/","title":{"rendered":"Thune blesses push to block senator pay during government shutdowns"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthune-blesses-push-to-block-senator-pay-during-government-shutdowns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2601730&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senate majority Leader John Thune backed a resolution that would prevent senators from receiving paychecks during a government shutdown. Thune said he worked with Sen. John Kennedy to secure a vote, noting he would support the measure when the Senate holds its frist procedural vote Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>The resolution,which passed the Senate Rules Committee unanimously in December and has aimed for bipartisan floor support,is meant to discourage future shutdowns by changing the \u201coptics\u201d of lawmakers being paid while their staff and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">federal workers<\/a> do not. It directs the Senate secretary to withhold senators\u2019 pay until government funding lapses end, taking effect after the 2026 elections.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy\u2019s efforts to pass similar versions by unanimous consent have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/religious-liberty-group-warns-biden-rule-would-force-trans-surgeries-abortions-theyre-fighting-it-in-court\/\" title=\"Religious Liberty Group Warns Biden Rule Would Force Trans Surgeries, Abortions. They\u2019re Fighting It In Court.\">blocked multiple times<\/a>. The article also contrasts this approach with another proposal from Sen. Ron Johnson that would ensure \u201cessential\u201d federal workers are paid during a shutdown, which has not yet been scheduled for a vote.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>Senate Majority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-thune\/\">John Thune<\/a> (R-SD) put his stamp of approval on legislation Tuesday that would block senators from receiving paychecks during a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/government-shutdown\/\">government shutdown<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-kennedy\/\">John Kennedy<\/a> (R-LA) has pressed leadership to call a vote on the legislation during the last two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/goya-ceo-if-we-shut-down-this-economy-its-the-beginning-of-the-end\/\" title=\"Goya CEO: If We Shut Down This Economy, It\u2019s The \u201cBeginning Of The End\u201d\">government shutdowns<\/a>, and Thune said it came up again as the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"8765\">Senate<\/a> began preparing to pass an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ossoff-hit-on-border-security-in-new-nrsc-ad\/\" title=\"Ossoff hit on border security in new NRSC ad\">immigration funding bill<\/a> that would fully reopen the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-homeland-security\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3083\">Department of Homeland Security<\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4564207\/watch-live-kash-patel-testifies-fbi-budget-request\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>WATCH LIVE: Kash Patel testifies on FBI budget request<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4564538\/john-fetterman-has-guts-joe-concha\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>\u2018Fetterman has guts\u2019: Joe Concha<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4564377\/elissa-slotkin-praises-iran-anti-us-propaganda\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>\u2018Seditious Six\u2019 member Slotkin praises Iranian propaganda: \u2018Nothing I\u2019ve ever seen before\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>\u201cI committed to get it up and get a vote on it,\u201d Thune said of his conversations with Kennedy, telling the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that he would support the legislation when the Senate takes its first procedural vote on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a resolution that applies just to the Senate, but frankly, I think it\u2019s good policy,\u201d Thune said, calling it an \u201cadditional incentive\u201d to avoid future shutdowns.<\/p>\n<p>The measure cleared the Senate Rules Committee unanimously in December, signaling it would have bipartisan support on the floor. But Kennedy has been blocked multiple times when he\u2019s attempted to pass it himself by unanimous consent \u2014 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kennedy.senate.gov\/public\/press-releases?ID=4CB7CF72-3068-40C4-A60B-B5CCC4FA2427\">once<\/a> by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) in November and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kennedy.senate.gov\/public\/2026\/3\/democrats-block-kennedy-resolution-to-withhold-senators-pay-during-government-shutdowns\">another time<\/a> by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) in March.<\/p>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/119\/bills\/sres526\/BILLS-119sres526rs.pdf\">two-page bill<\/a>, which would take effect after the 2026 elections, directs the secretary of the Senate to withhold senators\u2019 pay until a lapse in government funding ends. It is one of several proposals rank-and-file members have introduced this Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy\u2019s legislation is designed to address the political optics of lawmakers receiving paychecks while their staffers and other federal workers go without pay. The circumstance is due to both a quirk in the Constitution and a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/crs-product\/97-1011\">permanent allocation<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >lawmakers\u2019 salaries dating back<\/a> to 1983.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4563872\/trump-kari-lake-jamaica-ambassador\/\"><strong>TRUMP TAPS KARI LAKE FOR JAMAICA AMBASSADORSHIP AFTER VOICE OF AMERICA TURMOIL<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Another measure, from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), would require that federal workers receive pay during a shutdown if they are considered \u201cessential\u201d workers. President Donald Trump previously <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3924755\/thune-clears-gop-minibus-logjam-help-trump\/\">assured<\/a> Johnson he\u2019d try to get the legislation through Congress, but it has yet to be scheduled for a vote.<\/p>\n<p>Both parties have traded blame for the current shutdown, centered on Democrats\u2019 refusal to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement without substantial reforms to officer conduct. Congress finished approving funding for everything except DHS and its sister agency, Customs and Border Protection, at the end of last month. But Republicans are currently doing it alone to provide three years of ICE funding using a party-line budget process known as reconciliation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Thune backs bill blocking senators\u2019 pay during shutdowns<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2601733,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26083766061809-e1774823881815.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[33926,79539,39629,38235,3740],"class_list":["post-2601730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-campaign-finance","tag-federal-pay","tag-government-shutdown","tag-policy-reform","tag-senate"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26083766061809-e1774823881815.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2601730"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2601736,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601730\/revisions\/2601736"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2601733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2601730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2601730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2601730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}