Senators have unanimously approved a resolution to withhold their pay during government shutdowns, an attempt to make federal closures financially painful for lawmakers after a string of record-breaking impasses in the past year.

Under the resolution, Senators’ pay would be withheld by the Secretary of the Senate whenever a government shutdown affects one or more agencies, then released once funding is restored. It will take effect the day after the Nov. 3 general election.

The bipartisan support for the measure comes at a time when federal closures have become longer and more frequent, frustrating lawmakers who say there should be punishment when Congress fails at its most basic legislative duty.

The resolution was passed amid growing frustration over repeated government shutdown threats and prolonged budget impasses that have disrupted federal operations and heightened political tensions in Washington. Lawmakers backing the measure said it is intended to ensure that members of Congress share in the consequences faced by federal workers and the broader public when the government ceases normal operations.

By approving the resolution unanimously, Senators signaled broad agreement that elected officials should face direct financial pressure during periods of legislative gridlock. The move is being viewed as an attempt to increase accountability in Congress and encourage lawmakers to reach funding agreements more quickly.

Critics have long argued that lawmakers are insulated from the practical consequences of shutdowns because they continue receiving salaries even as federal workers experience uncertainty and delayed wages. The newly approved resolution seeks to address that criticism by suspending senators’ pay during shutdown periods.

Supporters of the measure argue that the financial penalty could create additional incentive for lawmakers to avoid prolonged funding standoffs. They say elected officials should not continue receiving compensation while federal agencies face closures and workers confront economic hardship.

Senator John Kennedy, the bill’s sponsor, in a floor speech on Wednesday, “Shutting down government should not be our default solution to our refusal to work out our issues and our differences.” “This is about putting our money where our mouth is,” Kennedy said.

Two shutdowns in the past year created significant financial hardship for tens of thousands of federal workers, particularly at the Department of Homeland Security. The department reopened last month after a 76-day partial shutdown, the longest agency funding lapse in history.

The DHS shutdown came just a few months after a 43-day lapse of the entire federal government, which was the longest such closure on record.

The Constitution stipulates that lawmakers must be paid so they have received salaries during shutdowns even as federal workers went without paychecks. When the full government shutdown began in October amid a dispute over health care subsidies, Sen. Lindsey Graham proposed a constitutional amendment to require members to forfeit their paychecks when the government is closed. “If members of Congress had to forfeit their pay during government shutdowns, there would be fewer shutdowns and they would end quicker,” Graham said at the time.

Graham said that his legislation was the most “constitutionally sound” way to deal with the problem, but the process would have been much more laborious as three-fourths of states must ratify an amendment. Lawmakers in previous shutdowns have often pledged to forgo their paychecks while federal workers went unpaid.

A Move Towards Shared Sacrifice

Kennedy told reporters that he pushed his measure to ensure there is “shared sacrifice” during shutdowns.

He added that it does not go as far as he would like, but that it’s a start. Commenting on why it does not extend to the other chamber of Congress, Kennedy said, “the House’s business is the House’s business” while also touching on the tensions between the Senate and House. “There’s a very strong undercurrent of animosity among some of my friends in the House,” Kennedy said.

By tying lawmakers’ pay to government operations, Senators backing the resolution appear to be responding to concerns that Congress lacks sufficient incentives to avoid repeated stalemates. The measure is intended to make shutdowns “financially painful” for lawmakers themselves, according to supporters of the effort.

The resolution also reflects broader debates about congressional accountability and institutional reform. Calls for changes to congressional pay structures and budget procedures have periodically emerged during moments of political crisis, though many proposals have struggled to gain bipartisan support. The unanimous Senate vote therefore stands out as a notable moment of agreement.

While the practical impact of the measure remains to be seen, the resolution sends a political message that Senators recognize public frustration over repeated funding crises.