January 1, Senate Makes RARE Unanimous Move on Shutdown Pay

Wyatt’s Take

• All 99 senators actually agreed on something — withholding their own paychecks during government shutdowns
• Louisiana Senator led the charge to make politicians feel the pain when Washington fails
• House members still get paid during shutdowns while federal workers get furloughed

The Senate just did something almost unheard of in today’s broken Washington — they voted unanimously on a common-sense measure that holds them accountable.

In a 99-0 voice vote Thursday, senators agreed to withhold their own paychecks during government shutdowns. The resolution was brought forward by Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, and it means senators only get backpay after a shutdown ends — not during.

This is the kind of basic accountability working Americans have been demanding for years. When the government shuts down, federal workers get furloughed without pay.

Meanwhile, members of Congress have continued collecting their taxpayer-funded salaries like nothing’s wrong. That double standard just got a little smaller — at least in the Senate.

The resolution only applies to the Senate chamber. House members are still free to collect their checks while hardworking Americans in government jobs go without paychecks during Washington’s failures.

That means half of Congress is still insulated from the consequences of their inability to pass a budget on time.

It’s a small step, but it’s one that resonates with folks who’ve watched politicians live by different rules for decades. When regular people fail at their jobs, they don’t get paid.

Now at least senators will have some skin in the game when budget negotiations break down.

The unanimous vote is rare proof that when something makes basic common sense, even today’s divided Senate can get on board. The question is whether the House will follow suit — or keep protecting their own wallets while the country suffers.

Wyatt Matters

This is the bare minimum — holding Washington accountable the same way working families are held accountable every day. When you fail at your job, you don’t get paid. It shouldn’t take an act of Congress to make that apply to Congress itself, but here we are.