Senate Advances Resolution to Suspend Lawmaker Pay During Government Shutdowns

The Senate on Wednesday unanimously advanced a resolution that would suspend senators' pay during government shutdowns by placing it in an escrow account until the shutdown ends. Senators voted 99-0 to clear the procedural hurdle, with one senator absent.

The measure is expected to be adopted quickly but will not take effect until after the November midterm elections because of the 27th Amendment's requirements on changes to congressional pay. The resolution applies only to the Senate. It was introduced following two record funding lapses in the span of a year, including a 43-day government-wide shutdown last fall and a 76-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year.

The Louisiana Republican who sponsored the measure said it was about shared sacrifice, noting that federal employees do not get paid during a shutdown. Some of those workers had to take second jobs or defaulted on bills while awaiting back pay. Senators earn $174,000 a year and are often independently wealthy, making them less likely to face the same hardships.

The sponsor said he personally prefers that senators lose their pay altogether during a shutdown and be prevented from leaving Washington until the government reopens, but the escrow approach was an accommodation to gain support.

“It’s about shared sacrifice. Shutting down government should not be a default solution to our refusal to work out our issues and our differences." — Sen. Senate Democrats used the filibuster during those episodes in efforts to extend Obamacare subsidies and impose limits on deportation operations. The sponsor told reporters he is concerned that Senate Democrats may attempt another shutdown right before the midterm elections to create political chaos. He said if that prediction proves wrong, he will apologize to every senator by name. The resolution directs the secretary of the Senate to withhold paychecks until a shutdown is resolved. Leaders of either party earn over $193,000 per year.”

Shutdowns have become a more frequent negotiating tool over the last year and a half. In the current administration's term alone, Congress has been on the precipice of closure four times. Other senators have offered separate proposals in response to the recent shutdowns.

One would require that working federal employees are paid during a shutdown. Another would automatically fund the government for two-week periods until a compromise is reached. The resolution's sponsor said he would have preferred it take effect immediately but recognized the constitutional barrier.

Federal workers faced real financial strain during the recent extended closures while lawmakers did not experience equivalent pressure.