It's done: The Senate resolution, sponsored by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), stripping senators of their pay during a government shutdown, has passed by a unanimous vote.
That's good news, and it raises the immediate question: What about the House of Representatives? Until that gets addressed, though, this is still a win.
🚨 JUST IN: US Senate unanimously BANS all senators from getting a single paycheck if the federal government is shutdown, filed by Sen. Kennedy
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 14, 2026
FINALLY! This should've already been the case 👏🏻
Don't give them a DIME if they defund TSA and other crucial agencies.
This is called… pic.twitter.com/WAuDOpvbrs
The post reads:
JUST IN: US Senate unanimously BANS all senators from getting a single paycheck if the federal government is shutdown, filed by Sen. Kennedy
FINALLY! This should've already been the case 👏🏻
Don't give them a DIME if they defund TSA and other crucial agencies.
This is called FAIRNESS
The attached video presents the voice vote:
Senator at podium: “Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the measure.”
Presiding officer: “Without objection, the Senate will proceed to the measure.”
Senator at podium: “Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the measure.”
Presiding officer: “If there's no further debate, the question is on the adoption of the resolution. All in favor say aye.”
Presiding officer: “All opposed say no.”
Presiding officer: “The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The resolution is adopted.”
Judging from the video and the voice vote, it's pretty plain that 100 senators were not present for the vote. But the ones that cared enough to attend all voted "aye." We can presume that, by the rules of the Senate, this is still a pass.
An Associated Press piece has details:
The bipartisan support for the measure comes at a time when federal closures have become longer and more frequent, frustrating lawmakers who say there should be punishment when Congress fails at its most basic legislative duty.
Under the resolution, senators’ pay would be withheld by the secretary of the Senate whenever a government shutdown affects one or more agencies, then released once funding is restored. It will take effect the day after the Nov. 3 general election.
“Shutting down government should not be our default solution to our refusal to work out our issues and our differences,” said Sen. John Kennedy, the bill’s sponsor, in a floor speech Wednesday.
“This is about putting our money where our mouth is,” said Kennedy, R-La.
Now, about that, House of Representatives...
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This is something that the Speaker of the House, Republican Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04), should be looking at, and perhaps talking to Senator Kennedy about; they are, after all, both from Louisiana, so why not? If this is good for the Senate, then it's good for the House, and what's more, it's good for the American people. We expect these people to do their freaking jobs, after all, so it's only right and fair that we withhold their paychecks when they fail to do so.
Funding essential constitutional government functions, like enforcing the borders and immigration law, is, after all, just about the most important job the House of Representatives has. Speaker Johnson should take a lesson from the Senate. Incentives matter, and one's paycheck can be a significant goad.
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