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Some Republicans expressed frustration Monday that measures to withhold lawmaker pay when there is a lapse in federal funding were not included as part of a deal to end the 41-day government shutdown.
The record-long shutdown forced thousands of government workers — including military personnel, federal law enforcement officers and air traffic controllers — to work without pay, while lawmakers continued to receive their six-figure salaries.
“Democrats just caused the longest shutdown in our nation’s history and proved they’re willing to deprive millions of hardworking Americans of their paychecks — members of our military, federal law enforcement, FAA, Capitol Police — all while cashing their own paychecks,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) told The Post.
“And Dems have already said they’re willing to do it again,” he added.
As Democratic senators repeatedly rejected GOP efforts to reopen the government, Scott urged his colleagues to immediately pass his No Budget, No Pay Act, which would prevent members of Congress from being paid in a fiscal year until both chambers approve a budget resolution and pass all regular appropriations bills for that fiscal year.
The bill has been referred to committee.
“It’s pure hypocrisy,” Scott seethed of lawmakers cashing paychecks amid the shutdown. “Our military and federal employees shouldn’t be punished because Congress can’t do its job!”
“It’s time to pass my No Budget, No Pay Act that says if we can’t fund the government, members shouldn’t get paid. Period.”
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) also pushed legislation to pause paychecks for lawmakers during the shutdown, which was blocked last week by Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.).
“My only disappointment in the deal that we have, I strongly wanted a provision added that senators cannot be paid during the shutdown,” Kennedy said during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show.”
“It’s called shared sacrifice. It’s called leadership,” the Louisiana Republican continued. “We were getting paid, but our staff wasn’t.”
Members of Congress receive an annual salary of $174,000 a year, which is a bit higher for members of leadership.
Their paychecks are guaranteed by the Constitution, which requires that “Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.”
The 27th Amendment also blocks Congress from passing laws that affect lawmaker pay in the same congressional term.
Kennedy’s No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act would force lawmakers to go without pay for every day that the government is shut down, and his Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act gets around the constitutional question by withholding paychecks in escrow until after the November 2026 elections.
“I didn’t take my salary,” Kennedy noted, “but our staff wasn’t getting paid, and air traffic controllers and our military … I thought it was the height of hypocrisy.”
“My leadership blocked me from bringing that bill, but I’m not going to stop. I’m going to keep coming,” he pledged.
At least 55 out of the 100 senators in the upper chamber were reportedly not taking their paychecks or donating them amid the shutdown, ABC News reported last week.
The outlet tallied responses from 26 Republicans, 28 Democrats and 1 independent, indicating that their paychecks were being set aside.
“It’s gross and needs to end,” Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) said of lawmakers getting paid while essential government workers “suffer.”
Moreno’s SHUTDOWN Act, which was introduced last month and referred to committee, would penalize members of Congress by imposing a daily tax during a government shutdown.
“Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries want to get paid for shutting the government down,” Moreno said in a statement. “That’s ridiculous. If Congress can’t do the bare minimum, we don’t deserve a paycheck.”
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