“Shared Sacrifice”: Senate Unanimously Approves Pay Withholding During Shutdowns

WASHINGTON — As Congress continues to grapple with repeated government shutdown threats, John Kennedy pushed a proposal centered on what he calls “shared sacrifice” — requiring senators to go without pay during funding lapses.

Speaking on the Senate floor May 13, Kennedy outlined the intent behind S.Res. 526, a resolution that would temporarily withhold senators’ salaries during any government shutdown.

What The Resolution Proposes

Kennedy emphasized that the measure is limited in scope, applying only to the Senate and not the House of Representatives.

“First, it’s a resolution. It’s not a bill,” Kennedy said. “This resolution will only affect the United States Senate. It will not affect the United States House of Representatives.”

Under the proposal, senators would not receive pay during a shutdown, mirroring the financial strain faced by many federal workers when government funding lapses.

“My resolution would require — or stipulate rather — that senators wouldn’t be paid, either,” Kennedy said. “It’s called shared sacrifice.”

However, the pay would not be permanently lost. Instead, it would be held in escrow and returned once the shutdown ends.

“A senator would not lose his or her salary. The money would be escrowed,” he said. “But once the shutdown is over, you’ll get your money.”

Constitutional Limits And Timing

Kennedy noted that the resolution cannot take effect immediately due to the 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibits changes to congressional compensation during a current term.

“The resolution will not take effect until the day after the midterm elections,” he said, explaining that the Constitution requires any changes to lawmaker pay to occur only after an election has taken place.

While Kennedy expressed a desire for immediate implementation, he acknowledged legal constraints.

“If I were king for a day … I’d make this resolution effective immediately,” he said.

A Response To Recent Shutdowns

Kennedy pointed to multiple shutdowns within a single year as justification for the measure, describing the situation as unacceptable.

“Last October, we shut down the government 43 days,” he said, referring to a previous federal shutdown. “We had FBI agents and national park rangers and CDC scientists … Nobody was getting paid.”

He also referenced a subsequent shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security.

“Three months later … we shut down the Department of Homeland Security. It was shut down for 76 days,” Kennedy said. “This is all in one year. We ought to hide our heads in a bag. It’s got to stop,” Kennedy said.

“Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is”

Kennedy framed the resolution as a step toward accountability, though he acknowledged it may not fully prevent future shutdowns.

“Shutting down government should not be a default solution to our refusal to work out our issues and our differences,” he said.

He added that stronger measures — such as permanently forfeiting pay or requiring lawmakers to remain in Washington during shutdowns — would be more effective, but are unlikely to pass.

“If you make people forfeit their pay and tell them they can’t leave Washington, we won’t have any more shutdowns,” Kennedy said. “But I can’t pass that.”

Instead, the resolution aims to send a message of shared responsibility.

“This is about shared sacrifice,” Kennedy said. “This is about putting our money where our mouth is.”

Resolution Receives Unanimous Approval

Following Kennedy’s remarks, the Senate moved to approve S.Res. 526 without opposition, signaling bipartisan agreement on the issue of congressional accountability during government shutdowns.

The unanimous vote comes amid ongoing frustration among some lawmakers over repeated funding lapses and their impact on federal employees, many of whom go without pay during shutdown periods.

The resolution does not permanently reduce lawmakers’ salaries, as withheld pay would be returned after a shutdown ends.

Limited Scope, Symbolic Impact

Because S.Res. 526 applies only to the Senate, the House would need to adopt a separate measure to impose similar rules on its members.

Kennedy concluded by encouraging colleagues to vote based on their judgment.

“Vote for it if you want to, don’t vote for it if you don’t want to,” he said. “Follow your heart — be sure and take your brain with you.”

Supporters of the measure say lawmakers should share in the financial consequences of government shutdowns.

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