The Senate unanimously approved a bill on Thursday to withhold senators’ paychecks if the government undergoes a shutdown, following through with years of similar efforts that have failed to gain much traction.
The resolution would only apply to the Senate and it would not take effect until after the midterm elections in November. But it would withhold paychecks if a shutdown takes place for any federal department or agency, meaning senators wouldn’t have been paid for the duration of the record-long 76-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year.
It also follows the record-long full shutdown last year that saw the entire federal government shuttered for 43 days that members of both parties blamed the other for. The proposal to withhold pay, some say, would act as an incentive to avoid future shutdowns.
Sen. Kennedy: Lawmakers should also have to stay in Washington during shutdowns
“Senators don’t deserve a dime from the American taxpayer until they do their jobs,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., who spearheaded the bill, said in a speech on the Senate floor.
Still, Kennedy said he wanted the bill to go further and not only withhold pay but also bar lawmakers from leaving town until a shutdown is ended. Kennedy also wanted the bill to take effect immediately, especially as lawmakers brace for another possible shutdown this fall due to deep funding disagreements between Republicans and Democrats.
However, the 27th Amendment prohibits any law to increase or decrease lawmakers’ salaries until after the next election of the House of Representatives.
The bill would allow lawmakers to receive the pay they missed once funding is approved.
Senators are increasing pressure on their colleagues in the House to pass their own version of the bill, although it’s not yet clear if they will do so. Utah Rep. Mike Kennedy introduced a bill that would withhold member pay during a shutdown last year, but it did not get a vote on the floor.
However, Kennedy volunteered to pause his paycheck during last year’s funding lapse, as did Rep. Blake Moore and Sen. John Curtis.