Sponsors (2)
The bill strengthens and clarifies penalties and implementation for congressional pay-withholding during shutdowns—potentially deterring shutdowns and reducing ambiguity—at the cost of added administrative burden, legal risk, and direct financial pain for affected Members.
Members of Congress: their pay is withheld for days a shutdown occurs, creating a clear financial disincentive that may reduce the likelihood of future shutdowns and protect government services for the public.
House and Senate payroll officers and the Treasury: the bill assigns payroll administrators and requires Treasury assistance, making payroll implementation clearer and more consistent so pay-withholding rules can be applied more quickly and uniformly.
Federal agencies and staff: the bill provides a standardized definition of 'government shutdown,' reducing ambiguity for agencies when applying the Act's provisions and improving consistency in agency responses.
Members of Congress and their households: withholding pay for shutdown days can cause real financial strain on Members and their families, particularly for those without large personal resources.
Treasury and payroll administrators: implementing, auditing, and managing pay-withholdings creates additional administrative workload and resource needs for Treasury and congressional payroll offices.
Members, federal employees, and agencies: changes and the new definition may prompt legal challenges or disputes over scope and application, creating uncertainty, litigation risk, and potential delays in pay restorations or enforcement.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Requires withholding one day’s pay per 24‑hour period of a federal government shutdown from Members of Congress during pay periods that include shutdown days.
Introduced September 30, 2025 by Mike Kennedy · Last progress September 30, 2025
Withholds from a Member of Congress’s pay an amount equal to one day’s pay for each 24‑hour period of a federal government shutdown that falls within a pay period. Payroll administrators for each House must calculate and deduct the withheld amount from Members’ pay, with the Treasury providing assistance as needed; the law defines "government shutdown" and who counts as a "Member of Congress," and applies starting in the One Hundred Twentieth Congress and thereafter.