Withholding the pay of Senators if a Government shutdown occurs.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Kennedy submitted the following resolution; which was referred to …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This Senate resolution creates a rule that Senators will not receive their paychecks during any government shutdown. Instead, the Secretary of the Senate will hold their pay until the shutdown ends, at which point the withheld payments will be released. The rule takes effect after the November 2026 elections.
Who Benefits and How
The general public benefits symbolically from increased accountability measures for Senators. By making Senators share in the financial consequences of shutdowns, the resolution aims to create incentive for Congress to avoid or quickly resolve budget impasses. Federal employees who typically face furloughs during shutdowns may indirectly benefit if this incentive leads to fewer or shorter shutdowns.
Who Bears the Burden and How
U.S. Senators bear the direct burden of having their pay temporarily withheld during government shutdowns. While they ultimately receive their full pay once the shutdown ends, they face cash flow disruption during the shutdown period. The Secretary of the Senate takes on additional administrative responsibility for tracking and managing the withheld payments.
Key Provisions
- Defines "government shutdown" as any lapse in appropriations for one or more federal agencies or departments
- Requires the Secretary of the Senate to hold (not eliminate) Senator pay during shutdowns
- Mandates release of all withheld pay as soon as practicable after the shutdown ends
- Takes effect after the regularly scheduled general election in November 2026
- Allows the Secretary to designate an employee to carry out these duties
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Establishes a mechanism to withhold Senators' pay during government shutdowns, releasing it only after the shutdown ends.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Create accountability incentive for Senators to avoid government shutdowns by temporarily withholding their pay"
Likely Beneficiaries
- General public/taxpayers (symbolic accountability)
- Federal employees affected by shutdowns (indirect pressure on Senators)
Likely Burden Bearers
- U.S. Senators (temporary pay withholding during shutdowns)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "secretary_of_the_senate"
- → Secretary of the Senate (or designated employee)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A lapse in appropriations for 1 or more Federal agencies or departments
The Secretary of the Senate, or an employee of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate who is designated by the Secretary to carry out the requirements of this section
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology