Future shutdowns mean a pay freeze for senators

Jacob Fulton, CQ-Roll Call on May 14, 2026

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WASHINGTON — If and when the next government shutdown rolls around, the laundry list of consequences will now include a pay freeze for U.S. senators.

On a voice vote, the Senate passed a resolution from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., that requires the Senate secretary to withhold compensation for the duration of a shutdown.

The change in Senate rules is set to take effect on the date of the 2026 midterm elections to comply with the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits a change in congressional salaries from being enacted until after an intervening election.

The speedy passage, which followed a 99-0 procedural vote Wednesday, underscored a growing frustration among lawmakers with the frequency of partial shutdowns.

It also comes after last year’s record-breaking, 43-day funding lapse – and the subsequent shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security that began in February and ended early this month. That 11-week shutdown, while smaller in scale, broke last year’s record.

The resolution cleared the procedural hurdle on Wednesday with unanimous support, which signaled the lack of opposition to the proposal in the final vote. The overwhelming support also suggests that sitting senators are unlikely to challenge the rules change.

Some lawmakers say there’s still some work to be done, as the resolution — unlike a bill — doesn’t have the same binding force as a law, and the change only impacts the Senate.

A similar House bill from Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., would carry the force of law and apply to both chambers, but has yet to hit the chamber floor. That bill advanced from the House Administration Committee in March on a 10-0 vote.