The Senate unanimously backed a measure Thursday that will strip lawmakers of their paychecks whenever the federal government shuts down, though they will receive the withheld funds once operations resume.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., introduced the resolution, which passed by voice vote and will take effect after the 2026 midterm elections. Unlike legislation, the measure requires no House approval and needs no presidential signature to become binding.
Under the resolution, the Secretary of the Senate will hold back all compensation to senators for any period during which a government shutdown occurs. Once the shutdown ends, senators receive full back pay as soon as practicable, matching the treatment of federal employees.
The action follows a stretch of repeated shutdowns over the past 16 months, marked by escalating partisan disputes over spending bills and budget priorities. The extended standoffs have repeatedly caught lawmakers and the public in cycles of funding lapses, furloughs, and delayed paychecks for government workers.
By voting to forgo their own salaries during such crises, senators are attempting to create a financial incentive for swift resolution of budget deadlocks. The symbolic gesture also responds to public frustration that lawmakers continue drawing paychecks while federal employees face unpaid leave.
The timing of the measure, set to activate after the midterm elections, gives lawmakers a window before the new rule takes effect. The provision signals an acknowledgment among senators that the pattern of shutdowns has become unsustainable and that their own skin in the game may encourage faster budget deals.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Whether symbolic politics actually translates into faster budget agreements remains to be seen, but at least senators are finally putting a price on their own dysfunction."
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