Senator Kennedy Advances Bill to Stop Senators’ Pay During Shutdowns

Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy has moved closer to ensuring U.S. senators share the financial pain of government shutdowns, advancing a commonsense resolution that withholds their salaries until the crisis ends—protecting American taxpayers from footing the bill for congressional failure.

The Senate Rules Committee unanimously approved Kennedy’s measure last week, which would escrow senators’ paychecks during any shutdown, releasing them only after funding is restored. The rule would take effect following the 2026 elections.

This push follows the longest shutdown in U.S. history earlier this year, lasting over 40 days and forcing thousands of federal workers into furloughs while essential personnel—like troops and border agents—worked without guaranteed timely pay.

The disruption hammered everyday Americans: national parks and Smithsonian museums closed, thousands of flights were delayed or canceled, and Delta Airlines alone projects a $200 million hit to profits.

While furloughed workers eventually receive back pay by law, taxpayers bore the burden as politicians continued collecting salaries.

Kennedy Champions Taxpayer Relief and Accountability

“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.”

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.”

Broader Effort to End Special Treatment for Politicians

The veteran lawmaker—who served as Louisiana’s state treasurer and revenue secretary before his 2017 Senate election—has introduced related bills this year, including the No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act and the Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act, aimed at extending the pay hold to both chambers.

A companion House bill from Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., chairman of the House Administration Committee, mirrors this approach.

“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’s initiative puts American taxpayers first, demanding that elected officials face real consequences for failing to keep the government open and operational—no more insulated paychecks while hardworking citizens and essential workers suffer the fallout.