Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act

Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act – Plain English Summary

This bill would stop members of Congress from receiving their paychecks during a government shutdown. Under current law, members of Congress continue to be paid even when the federal government shuts down, because their salaries are considered "mandatory" spending that continues automatically. This legislation would change that by withholding congressional pay for any day that the government is operating under a shutdown.

The bill directly affects the 535 members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The idea behind it is straightforward: if Congress fails to pass a budget or a spending bill that keeps the government funded, the lawmakers responsible for that outcome would personally feel the financial consequences, just like the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who are furloughed or forced to work without pay during a shutdown.

It's worth noting that the 27th Amendment to the Constitution prevents Congress from changing its own pay during an active term, which has historically made bills like this legally complicated. As a result, some versions of similar legislation have proposed that withheld pay be returned to members only after a funding agreement is reached, rather than being permanently docked. The bill was recently approved by committee and is moving forward in the House for broader consideration.