Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) have introduced the Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act. The proposed legislation would prevent members of Congress from receiving their salaries during a federal government shutdown and would require deductions from lawmakers’ paychecks for each day of future shutdowns.
Chairman Steil stated, “There is no reason our government should be shut down. If service members, men and women of federal law enforcement, and other essential employees are working without pay during the shutdown, members of Congress should not be paid either. I’ve had my pay withheld and believe every member of Congress should do the same. This legislation ensures that members of Congress are not collecting pay during the ongoing shutdown and are treated the same as every other federal employee.”
Under current constitutional and statutory requirements, members of Congress are entitled to receive their salaries at the end of each month, even during a government shutdown. Despite this provision, Chairman Steil has requested his own pay be withheld for the duration of the current shutdown.
The bill specifically targets members of the 119th Congress by prohibiting them from collecting a paycheck while the government remains unfunded. For future congresses starting with the 120th, it introduces penalties by deducting lawmakers’ pay for each day that funding lapses.
Recent legislative actions saw House Republicans pass a continuing resolution to maintain government funding on September 19. All but one Democrat in the U.S. House voted against this measure, with many continuing to receive their paychecks. In the Senate, nearly all Democrats voted multiple times against similar resolutions, contributing to the continuation of the shutdown.
Due to the ongoing impasse, military personnel, federal law enforcement officers, and other federal employees may experience delays in receiving their wages until government operations resume.
