By Maribel Velazquez
The Senate unanimously approved a resolution that will temporarily suspend the salaries of senators during future federal government shutdowns, in an attempt to curb the constant political bickering that has paralyzed public agencies in recent years.
The initiative, promoted by the Republican senator John Kennedyreceived the full support of the upper house with a vote of ninety-nine-0, reflecting the growing political attrition caused by recent government shutdowns in Washington.
The measure establishes that, if Congress does not approve federal funds by the deadline, senators will temporarily stop receiving their salaries. Although the money will not be permanently lost — it will be placed in an escrow account — lawmakers will not be able to access it until the government returns to normal operations.
A response after months of political crisis
The resolution comes after two historic closures recorded in recent months. The first occurred in autumn 2025 and lasted for 43 days due to disputes over health insurance subsidies. Later, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was partially paralyzed for 76 days over disagreements over funding for ICE and the Border Patrol.
During the debate in the Senate, Kennedy harshly criticized the inability of Congress to resolve budget conflicts without affecting millions of citizens.
“We should put our heads in a bag. This has to stop,” declared the Republican senator. “Shutting down the government should not be our default solution to our refusal to solve our problems.”
The resolution also received support from the Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, who previously confirmed he would support the proposal.
The measure will not apply immediately
Despite the broad political consensus, The rule will not come into force immediately. Due to constitutional restrictions established in the United States 27th Amendment, any changes related to the salaries of members of Congress can only apply after the next congressional elections.
This means that The resolution will begin to take effect after the midterm elections and will not impact a possible government shutdown planned for this fall.
Although the proposal only affects the Senate and does not require approval from the House of Representatives or the signature of President Donald Trump, the movement has been interpreted as a political message in the face of growing polarization in Washington.
Keep reading:
- What did Democrats achieve after the longest government shutdown in history?
- Republicans block Democratic bill to fund DHS agencies that excludes ICE and CBP
