Sponsors
The resolution prevents taxpayer-funded Senate travel during shutdowns and creates pressure to avoid or shorten shutdowns, at the cost of potential disruptions to oversight and constituent services and shifting travel costs or cancellations onto Senators.
All taxpayers: Prevents Senators from charging Senate office funds (SOPOEA) for official travel during a government shutdown, reducing taxpayer-funded spending in those periods.
Federal government and budget process: Creates a disincentive for Senators to undertake official travel during shutdowns, which may encourage quicker resolution of funding gaps and reduce shutdown-related costs.
Constituents and state/local governments: May face delayed coordination, oversight, and slower constituent assistance if Senators cancel travel during a shutdown.
Senators (and their offices): May need to personally pay for official travel or cancel essential trips during shutdowns, complicating oversight missions and constituent services.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Prevents Senators from using SOPOEA funds to pay for or reimburse official travel during any lapse in federal appropriations.
Introduced April 15, 2026 by Ashley Brooke Moody · Last progress April 15, 2026
Prohibits Senators from using funds from their Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense (SOPOEA) account to pay for or reimburse any official travel that occurs during a lapse in federal appropriations (a government shutdown). It bars obligation or expenditure of amounts made available from SOPOEA for travel during periods when one or more federal agencies lack appropriations.