Washington — In a decisive move, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Thursday that stipulates senators will forfeit their salaries during any period when funding for federal agencies ceases. This decision follows recent protracted shutdowns that significantly impacted federal employees.
The resolution, spearheaded by Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, mandates the Senate’s secretary to withhold senators’ pay whenever there is a lapse in funding for federal departments or agencies. Once the shutdown concludes, the withheld salaries will be disbursed.
The Senate adopted this resolution through unanimous consent on Thursday, after a preliminary 99-0 vote earlier in the week to move the measure forward.
Senator Kennedy described the resolution as a form of “shared sacrifice,” emphasizing that federal workers typically miss out on their paychecks during shutdowns.
The previous year saw the federal government shut down for a total of 43 days, primarily due to Democratic protests over the lapse of healthcare subsidies. In the months that followed, the Department of Homeland Security experienced a shutdown lasting 76 days due to congressional disagreements over immigration enforcement reforms.
Expressing his frustration, Kennedy remarked on the Senate floor, “We ought to hide our heads in a bag,” referring to the recurring shutdowns. “We must put an end to this. Resorting to government shutdowns should not be our go-to tactic when we fail to resolve our disputes.”
The resolution, which applies only to the Senate, will take effect after November’s election.
Kennedy said he would make the resolution take effect immediately if he could, noting that he’s “very concerned that my Senate colleagues on the Democratic side are going to try to shut down government yet again right before the elections.”
But the 27th Amendment to the Constitution prevents any change in member pay from taking effect until after the next election has occurred.
The Louisiana Republican noted that the resolution won’t “stop all shutdowns,” but “maybe this will help.”
