Senator Kennedy's Bills to Withhold Congressional Pay During Government Shutdowns

Proposed Legislation to End Shutdowns

• 💡 Senator John Kennedy is introducing two bills aimed at ending government shutdowns by impacting Congressional pay.
• 📌 The first bill, the "No Shutdown Paychecks Act," proposes that members of Congress do not get paid for the duration of a shutdown and will not be reimbursed later.
• 🎯 The second bill, the "Withhold Member Pay during shutdowns act," addresses potential 27th Amendment concerns by escrowing Congressional pay during a shutdown, to be released only after the government reopens.

The Current Shutdown Context

• 🗓️ The US is currently in day 36 of a government shutdown, with no immediate end in sight despite rumors of an impending agreement.
• 📉 Federal workers have had to borrow $365 million to cover basic expenses like rent.
• ⚠️ Military personnel, air traffic controllers, and recipients of SNAP payments are also facing partial or no payment.

Precedent and Rationale

• 🏛️ Kennedy cites President Obama's actions in 2013, where legislation threatened to withhold pay if a shutdown wasn't resolved by a certain date, leading to Congress reopening the government.
• ⚖️ He argues that "what's good for the goose is good for the gander," implying that if federal employees are not paid, Congress should not be either.
• 🗣️ Kennedy states he is not trying to grandstand but feels compelled to act given the prolonged shutdown and its impact on federal workers.