Kennedy introduces bills preventing lawmakers from getting paid during government shutdown
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Senator John Kennedy introduced two bills that would prevent members of Congress from getting paid during a government shutdown.
His proposals come as the current shutdown is on track to potentially become the longest in U.S. history. It has already led to federal workers missing out on paychecks.
“I don’t see missing paychecks or empty dinner plates as leverage or bargaining chips. My bills ensure Congress feels the same pain as the folks we’re failing to pay – our troops, air traffic controllers, and federal workers. If we can’t do our jobs and fund the government, we don’t deserve a paycheck – plain and simple,” Sen. Kennedy said.
The senator’s two bills are called the No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act and the Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act.
According to Sen. Kennedy’s office, the No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act prevents members of Congress from getting paid during a government shutdown. It also prevents the lawmakers from getting back pay.
The Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act mandates that payroll administrators for Congress keep lawmakers’ paychecks in escrow during a government shutdown. Senator Kennedy’s office said the funding would only be disbursed at the start of the next Congress.
A companion proposal to Kennedy’s Withhold Member Pay During Shutdown Act has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Bryan Steil, a Republican from Wisconsin.
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