Senators on path to forfeit paychecks during shutdowns

Jacob Fulton, CQ-Roll Call on May 13, 2026

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WASHINGTON — Frustration over government shutdowns has led senators to consider what was once unthinkable: forfeiting their pay during a funding lapse.

In a rare show of bipartisanship, the Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to move forward on a resolution that would withhold member paychecks during future shutdowns, a move that comes after months of protracted spending fights and nearly back-to-back, record-breaking funding lapses.

On a 99-0 vote, the Senate invoked cloture on a motion to proceed to a resolution from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., which would require the Senate secretary to withhold compensation for the duration of a shutdown. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., who was returning to Washington after a Senate primary Tuesday night, missed the vote but would have voted in favor of the measure, according to his office.

The change in Senate rules would take effect on the date of the 2026 midterm elections. Under the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, congressional salaries can’t be changed until after an intervening election. The proposal comes after extended debate amid last fall’s funding lapse and the subsequent fallout about both member pay and compensation for federal workers during shutdowns.

Over the course of last year’s 43-day shutdown, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle introduced competing legislation to withhold their paychecks during government shutdowns. Lawmakers also offered bills that would allow pay to flow to federal workers during a lapse in appropriations. But the Wednesday vote marked the first tangible step forward from either chamber on the matter.

“This is about shared sacrifice,” Kennedy said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote. “This is about putting our money where our mouth is.”

The resolution still has multiple procedural steps to go before a final vote, but the overwhelming support for the proposal indicates that it could be on a glide path to adoption.

Frustration with the tactic of partially shutting down the government has been growing in the months since the fall shutdown came to a close — and the extended funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security only added fuel to the fire. That partial shutdown, which lasted 11 weeks and ended early this month, broke last year’s record.

The Senate Rules and Administration Committee advanced Kennedy’s resolution on a voice vote in December. Ranking member Alex Padilla, D-Calif., expressed concern at the time that the resolution, as distinct from a bill, doesn’t carry the force of law.

But the 99-0 vote Wednesday suggested no senator would be prepared to challenge the Senate rules change in court.

The vote also could increase pressure on the House to adopt a similar rule.

A House bill similar to Kennedy’s resolution, from Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., would carry the force of law and apply to both chambers. Steil’s bill advanced from the House Administration Committee in March on a 10-0 vote.

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