Sponsors (3)
This resolution ties senators' pay to the occurrence of government shutdowns to create accountability, but it is largely symbolic and may not prevent shutdowns or produce substantive bipartisan budget solutions.
Senators: Their pay is withheld during federal shutdowns and released afterward, creating a direct financial incentive for timely appropriations and increasing accountability for lapses.
Taxpayers: The measure may have little practical effect on preventing shutdowns and could shift attention to symbolic penalties instead of fostering bipartisan budget solutions, offering limited real benefit to the public.
Senators: Withholding pay temporarily reduces legislators' income and functions as a punitive measure that doesn't directly resolve the underlying causes of budget impasses.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced December 3, 2025 by John Neely Kennedy · Last progress December 3, 2025
Requires the Secretary of the Senate (or a designated Office employee) to withhold Senators’ pay for any period during which a government shutdown is in effect and to release those withheld payments to each Senator as soon as practicable after the shutdown ends. The rule becomes effective the day after the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2026.