politics
Senate Majority Leader Thune Supports Bill to Withhold Senator Pay During Government Shutdowns
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he will support legislation that withholds senators' pay during lapses in government funding. The measure, which takes effect after the 2026 elections, advanced as the Senate works on an immigration funding bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. Sen. John Kennedy has repeatedly pushed for a vote on the proposal.
May 12, 1:26 PM·2m read1 source
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) endorsed legislation Tuesday that would prevent senators from receiving paychecks during a government shutdown. Thune told the Washington Examiner he committed to advancing the bill and securing a vote on it. He said he would support the legislation during the Senate's first procedural vote on Wednesday.
“It’s a resolution that applies just to the Senate, but frankly, I think it’s good policy,” Thune said, calling it an “additional incentive” to avoid future shutdowns. The two-page bill directs the secretary of the Senate to withhold senators’ pay until a lapse in government funding ends. It would take effect after the 2026 elections.
Washington Examiner reported that Kennedy’s legislation is designed to address the political optics of lawmakers receiving paychecks while their staffers and other federal workers go without pay. The circumstance of lawmakers receiving pay during shutdowns stems from both a quirk in the Constitution and a permanent allocation for lawmakers’ salaries dating back to 1983. Sen.
John Kennedy (R-LA) has pressed leadership to call a vote on the legislation during the last two government shutdowns. It came up again as the Senate began preparing to pass an immigration funding bill that would fully reopen the Department of Homeland Security. The measure cleared the Senate Rules Committee unanimously in December.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) blocked Sen. John Kennedy’s attempt to pass the legislation by unanimous consent in November. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) blocked Sen.
