Congress collects paychecks while keeping government closed—Sen Kennedy proposes bills to end that

As the government shutdown has now continued into its sixth week, congressional lawmakers, unlike many other government employees who must continue working, have been collecting a paycheck. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) revealed that he intends to change that and introduced two bills to suspend congressional salaries during government shutdowns.

The Louisiana senator’s first bill is called the No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act, and states, “If on any day during a pay period a Government shutdown is in effect, the payroll administrator of each House of Congress shall exclude from the payments otherwise required to be made with respect to that pay period for the compensation of each Member of Congress.”

Kennedy said in a press release on the bill, “I don’t see missing paychecks or empty dinner plates as leverage or bargaining chips,” Kennedy said. “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.”

Article I, Section 6 of the US Constitution mandates that “Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.” The 27th Amendment also states: “No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.”

The second bill, titled the “Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act,” intends to sidestep the 27th Amendment as well as the Article I provision by putting lawmakers’ paychecks “in escrow until after the November 2026 elections.”

“We’re on day 36,” Kennedy said on the floor of the Senate earlier this week, “We’ve been that close for a week, frankly. I hope I’m wrong in saying this, but, I don’t think we’re really that close. I wish we were, and I hope we are, but I think we’re going to be in the shutdown a while longer.”

“In the meantime, none of our staffs are being paid. No federal employees are being paid,” he continued. “I got some numbers in this morning that federal workers have had to borrow $365 million so far during this 36-day shutdown in order just to pay their rent. Our military is only being paid partially. Our air traffic controllers are not being paid. People who receive SNAP payments are only being partially paid.”

The shutdown has been going on over a month, with Democrats opposing efforts by Republicans to open the government with a continuing resolution that will fund the government at normal levels.

The Washington Post editorial board, as well as the largest federal workers union, have both called on Democrats in the Senate to vote with the Republicans on a clean CR.