After the Senate approved a policy to withhold senators’ paychecks in the event of a shutdown, some lawmakers in the House are looking to apply that same standard to their side of the building — including Utah Rep. Mike Kennedy.
At the start of the record-long 43-day government shutdown last fall, Kennedy introduced the No Work, No Pay Act that would block lawmakers’ paychecks from being issued if any federal department or agency is shut down. Now that the Senate has approved a similar policy, Kennedy wants to enact it into law.
“If these government shutdowns are going to happen — which is nonsense, totally unacceptable — then Congress, whether it’s the Senate or House, should pay for that in the form of their own paycheck,” Kennedy told the Deseret News in an interview. “Senators and representatives would be on notice that if they’re going to vote to continue government shutdowns or not vote so that shutdowns continue, then they’re not going to be paid. And that will go as long as our good employees of the government are not being paid.”
Kennedy applauded the Senate for approving the chamber-specific policy this week. Through that resolution, the withheld paychecks only apply to the Senate — meaning it does not need approval from the House or White House to take effect.
But that makes it more likely the policy could be reversed in the future, Kennedy argued. Instead, the Utah Republican wants to enact the paycheck punishment into law with the president’s signature to ensure its survival.
“(The Senate policy) could be changed easily, just as easily as it came,” Kennedy said. “But if we pass a law, it becomes more difficult, which is what I’m proposing to do.”
Kennedy said he plans to talk with leadership about putting the bill on the floor for a vote. However, he acknowledged the upcoming legislative schedule could delay its consideration.
The House is set to consider Republicans’ budget resolution to fund federal immigration enforcement for the next three weeks, which could take about a week of floor time. Lawmakers must also deal with the expiring government surveillance powers that has a deadline of June 12.
Kennedy said he would speak with House GOP leadership to find a path forward.
“I’ve just thought it was nonsense that we use government shutdowns — and worse than that, we use our federal employees — as leverage points to move our political ideology forward,” Kennedy said. “I think that’s reprehensible, and Democrats and Republicans should have this tool taken away from them.”