Senate advances bill to block lawmakers’ pay during government shutdowns

Lawmakers voted 99-0 to end debate on the measure, clearing a key procedural hurdle.

“I think everybody in the Congress knows what I’m about to say may be a bit cynical, but it’s true,” Kennedy said. “If I were king for a day, I’m not and I don’t aspire to be, and I wanted to avoid shutdowns, I would do two things: I would provide that members of Congress can’t be paid during the shutdown, and I would provide that members of Congress can’t leave Washington, D.C. during a shutdown.” 

He also clarified that S. Res. 526 is a resolution, not a bill, and would apply only to the United States Senate, not the House of Representatives.

“Now I can’t pass the second part of that, so I’m going to try to pass the first part of that,” Kennedy continued. “This resolution, again, it’s not a bill; it’s about shared sacrifice. And I’m not doing it to punish anybody. I’m not doing it to try to embarrass anybody. I recognize that there are varying degrees of wealth among United States senators and their ability to go without a paycheck.”

The Louisiana Republican argued that the proposal would force Congress to share the financial consequences of government shutdowns that leave federal workers without pay and disrupt government services nationwide.

“I know and like every member of this body, and every member of this body who has a substantial amount of wealth has achieved that wealth through their own hard work, and most, if not all, of them started with nothing, and you know what I say? God bless them, more power to them, that’s America,” he said. “So, I want to put that up front because I’m sure that some are going to point out that some of our members are wealthier than others.”

Kennedy first attempted to pass his resolution during a government shutdown in November 2025 and again in March this year, by unanimous consent during the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. The March attempt was blocked by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI).