Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) attempted on March 23 to pass a resolution that would withhold senators’ pay during government shutdowns, but Senate Democrats objected and blocked the measure.
The issue is significant as it highlights ongoing debates over shared sacrifice during government funding lapses, when many federal employees go without pay while lawmakers continue to receive their salaries.
Kennedy explained, “And here is what my resolution would do: It would change Senate rules to provide that, when we are in a shutdown, that Senators cannot be paid, cannot receive their salaries. Their checks would be—think of it this way, Mr. President—locked in a vault. And once the shutdown is over, the Senators could pick them up.” He continued, “This resolution—again, it is not a bill—is about shared sacrifice. And I am not doing it to punish anybody. I am not doing it to try to embarrass anybody,” later adding, “It is about shared sacrifice and sending a message. We have about a squillion employees at the Department of Homeland Security that aren’t being paid, and there is no prospect of them being paid.”
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) objected to Kennedy’s unanimous consent request without offering an explanation from the floor or being recognized by the Chair. In response, Kennedy asked for clarification on why his colleague objected and left immediately afterward; he was told by the parliamentarian that Schatz did not need recognition in order to block unanimous consent.
“All right. I am coming back, Mr. President,” Kennedy said during his remarks on the Senate floor. “And I am coming back, and I am coming back, and I am coming back. Did I mention I will be back? And if a Member of this body disagrees with what I am doing then by God they ought to come down here and stand up in front of the U.S. Senate…and say: Here is why.”
Kennedy first introduced versions of this legislation in November 2025 amid a historic 43-day government shutdown and has continued advocating for its passage since then on the Senate floor. The proposal received unanimous bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate Rules Committee in December 2025.
According to his official website, Kennedy holds degrees including magna cum laude honors from Vanderbilt University as well as law degrees from both Oxford University and University of Virginia School of Law; he also served as executive editor of the Virginia Law Review and president of his senior class at Vanderbilt University. According to official records, he serves on committees for appropriations, banking, budget and judiciary; holds top Republican positions on subcommittees related to energy policy; contributes as an adjunct professor; has authored works on Constitutional law; ran for office focusing on policies benefiting constituents.
