The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution on May 14 to withhold senators' pay during future government shutdowns. The measure, introduced by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), passed by voice vote and will take effect after the November midterm elections.
The resolution directs the secretary of the Senate to withhold pay from senators during a lapse in appropriations for any federal agency. Payments would be released once the shutdown ends. The move follows two record-breaking shutdowns in recent months: a 43-day closure in October 2018 over healthcare subsidies and a 76-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this year.
Sen. Kennedy framed the resolution as a form of 'shared sacrifice,' noting that federal employees typically go unpaid during shutdowns. 'We ought to hide our heads in a bag,' he said on the Senate floor. 'Shutting down government should not be our default solution to our refusal to work out our issues and our differences.'
The resolution applies only to the Senate and does not affect the House of Representatives. It was adopted by unanimous consent on May 14, following a 99-0 vote to advance the measure earlier in the week. The delay in implementation until November complies with the 27th Amendment, which prohibits changes in lawmaker salaries before the next election.
Sen. Kennedy acknowledged that the resolution may not prevent all shutdowns but expressed hope that it would reduce their frequency. 'Maybe this will help,' he said. The measure has bipartisan support, including from Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
The shutdowns have had significant real-world effects, particularly on federal workers. During the October 2018 shutdown, tens of thousands of employees, including FBI agents, national park rangers, and CDC scientists, went without pay. The DHS shutdown led to attrition among Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers and operational backlogs, according to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
The resolution does not address the underlying political disputes that led to the shutdowns, such as Democratic opposition to DHS's immigration enforcement tactics or Republican demands for Obamacare subsidies. However, its sponsors hope that the financial penalty for lawmakers will incentivize compromise and reduce the likelihood of future shutdowns.