Kennedy resolution to withhold senators’ pay during government shutdowns clears key procedural hurdle

Watch Kennedy's comments here.

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kennedy's (R-La.) resolution to require the U.S. Senate to withhold the pay of all senators during government shutdowns cleared a key procedural hurdle, clearing the way for a final vote in the coming days.

Kennedy's resolution, which required 60 votes to invoke cloture, passed with a vote of 99-0.

"Last October, we shut down government for 43 days. That is the longest shutdown in history. And we had FBI agents, national park rangers, CDC scientists, our staff here in Congress-nobody was getting paid. And then, three months later, after we finally got out of that 43-day shutdown, we shut down the Department of Homeland Security. It was shut down for 76 days. This is all in one year. We ought to hide our heads in a bag. It's got to stop. Shutting down government should not be our default solution to our refusal to work out our issues and our differences," Kennedy said in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor prior to the vote.

"So, vote for it if you want to. Don't vote for it if you don't want to. Follow your heart but be sure and take your brain with you because this is about shared sacrifice. This is about putting our money where our mouth is," Kennedy later added.

Background

• The federal government was in a full or partial shutdown for more than 119 days between October 1, 2025, and May 1, 2026, during which all members of Congress received their full pay while federal employees missed paychecks.

• Kennedy first introduced early versions of his resolution to withhold senators' pay during government shutdowns in November 2025, and he fought for their passage during the historic 43-day full government shutdown.

• Kennedy continued to push for the resolution after the government reopened, and his resolution received unanimous, bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration in December 2025.

• In March, Kennedy attempted to pass his resolution by unanimous consent during the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, but Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) objected to the resolution without comment.

Full text of S. Res. 526 is available here.

Read Kennedy's op-ed about his resolution in The Hill here.

Watch Kennedy's speech here.