Nunn Defers Pay as Shutdown Looms, Calls on Senate to Pass House Funding Measure

DES MOINES, IA - With a government shutdown fast approaching, Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) today formally requested that his pay be withheld until full government funding is restored.

"If Senate Democrats force our troops to work without pay, Congress should be held to the same standard," said Rep. Nunn . "I'm calling on my colleagues in the Senate to pass the House's continuing resolution instead of holding our government hostage over a wishlist of radical spending demands."

On September 19, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371 , a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through November 21, 2025. The measure included full funding for the military, veterans, and key government services. Passing the CR would keep the government open and allow Congress to continue advancing full-year appropriations bills through regular order. However, Senate Democrats blocked this effort in a show of political grandstanding, with all but one voting against it.

In his letter to the Chief Administrative Officer of the House, Catherine Szpindor, Rep. Nunn wrote:

"It is wrong for Members of Congress to collect a paycheck while the federal government is shut down and millions of hardworking Americans face uncertainty. I am therefore requesting that… my pay be withheld until legislation has taken effect to fully fund the government and end the shutdown."

If Senate Democrats continue to reject the House-passed bill, the consequences for Iowa families will be severe: