Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., is one step closer to having U.S. senators feel the burden of a government shutdown.
Last week, the Senate Rules Committee unanimously advanced the senator’s resolution to withhold senators’ pay during a government shutdown.
Kennedy’s resolution would require that the paychecks of senators be withheld by the secretary of the Senate during the course of a shutdown to be released only when the period of the government shutdown ends. The legislation would take effect after the November 2026 general election.
The bill comes after Americans endured the longest government shutdown in U.S. history this past year, which dragged on for more than 40 days. During that time, thousands of federal workers were furloughed, and essential federal personnel were forced to come to work with the anxiety of not knowing if they would be compensated on a regular schedule.
The more than monthlong lapse in federal funding disrupted thousands of flights and led to the closure of national parks and the Smithsonian museums. The airline Delta alone expects to take a $200 million loss to its profits this year because of the government shutdown.
By law, furloughed federal workers receive back pay following a government shutdown.
“If the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history taught us anything, it’s that senators don’t deserve a dime from the American taxpayer until they do their jobs. When federal workers, our troops, and border agents don’t get paid during a government shutdown, U.S. Senators shouldn’t be any different,” Kennedy said in a statement, adding, “This unanimous Rules Committee vote to withhold senators’ paychecks during shutdowns is a major win for common sense. Passing my resolution is the right thing to do—pure and simple—and the Senate ought to move it across the finish line quickly.”
The Louisiana lawmaker has represented the Pelican State in the Senate since 2017. He was previously Louisiana’s state treasurer from 2000 to 2017, and the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue from 1996 to 1999.
This year Kennedy had also introduced two bills, the No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act and the Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act, designed to prevent lawmakers in both chambers of Congress from receiving compensation just like other employees of the federal government.
Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., who chairs the House Administration Committee, introduced a House version of the Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act that would have facilitated the withholding of member pay during a shutdown.
“If service members, men and women of federal law enforcement, and other essential employees are working without pay during the Schumer shutdown, members of Congress should not be paid either,” Steil said in a statement at the time.
Kennedy also said in a comment, “I don’t see missing paychecks or empty dinner plates as leverage or bargaining chips. My bills ensure Congress feels the same pain as the folks we’re failing to pay—our troops, air traffic controllers, and federal workers. If we can’t do our jobs and fund the government, we don’t deserve a paycheck—plain and simple.”
