In the thick of this brutal government shutdown, hardworking federal employees like air traffic controllers, are scraping by without a dime. But guess who’s still cashing those fat checks? The politicians in Congress, thanks to some ironclad rules in the Constitution. One Republican senator is stepping up to flip the script and make sure these lawmakers feel the sting just like everyone else.
Sen. John Kennedy from Louisiana isn’t mincing words or sitting idle. He’s rolled out not one, but two bills aimed at slamming the brakes on congressional paychecks while the shutdown grinds on. It’s high time, he argues, that the folks in Washington stop treating everyday Americans like pawns in their power games.
“I don’t see missing paychecks or empty dinner plates as leverage or bargaining chips,” Kennedy told Fox News Digital. “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.”
Kennedy’s first bill, dubbed the “No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act,” lays it out straight: No pay for lawmakers for every single day this mess continues. These senators and representatives pull in an average of $174,000 a year, and that’s before you factor in the extra perks for those in top spots.
But here’s the catch – the Constitution throws up roadblocks. Article I, Section 6 demands that senators and representatives get compensated for their work, drawn right from the U.S. Treasury. It’s baked in, no ifs or buts.
Then there’s the 27th Amendment, sealed back in 1992, which blocks Congress from tweaking their own salaries mid-term. You can’t just slash pay on a whim without running afoul of that.
That’s why Kennedy’s got a backup plan with his second bill, the “Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act.” Instead of outright cutting the cash, it stashes it away in escrow until after the 2026 elections roll around. Smart move to dodge those constitutional hurdles.
Over in the House, Rep. Bryan Steil from Wisconsin is carrying the torch on this one too. He’s teamed up to push the same idea, making sure the pressure hits both chambers.
“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 told Fox News Digital.
This isn’t some lone wolf effort. Other Republicans are piling on with their own fixes to hit politicians where it hurts – their wallets. The shutdown’s exposing just how out of touch the elite crowd in D.C. can be.
Take Sen. Bernie Moreno from Ohio. He’s thrown his hat in with a bill that slaps a growing tax on lawmakers’ pay, ramping up each day the Senate drags its feet. It’s like a penalty clock ticking louder and louder.
Sen. Lindsey Graham from South Carolina is also going big with a full-on constitutional amendment. His proposal would force lawmakers to kiss their shutdown pay goodbye, funneling it straight to the Treasury to chip away at that monster national debt.
Getting a constitutional amendment over the line is no walk in the park. It needs two-thirds buy-in from both the House and Senate, then ratification from three-fourths of the states. That’s a tall order, but Graham’s betting on the momentum from fed-up Americans.
Kennedy’s push strikes at the heart of the frustration boiling over nationwide. Why should the people causing the deadlock keep getting rewarded while troops and essential workers suffer? It’s a call to action that’s resonating with everyday folks tired of the Washington, D.C. games.
Do you support this plan by Senator Kennedy? As always, comment what you think by posting down below!
