# Senate approves pay freeze for members during shutdowns  
**Published:** 2026-05-14T21:05:11.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/14/repub/senate-votes-to-freeze-members-pay-during-future-shutdowns/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/senate-approves-pay-freeze-for-members-during-shutdowns

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved [a resolution Thursday](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-resolution/526/text) to withhold lawmakers' paychecks during government shutdowns beginning after this year's midterm elections, marking a rare bipartisan effort to address mounting frustration over repeated funding lapses. [The measure came from Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/14/repub/senate-votes-to-freeze-members-pay-during-future-shutdowns/) and passed by voice vote with [overwhelming support in procedural votes.](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-resolution/526/text)

Nebraska Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, who was returning to Washington after a Senate primary Tuesday night, missed the vote but would have voted in favor of the measure, according to his office. The resolution applies only to the Senate and does not require House approval or the president's signature.

Under the resolution, senators' pay would be withheld by the secretary of the Senate whenever a government shutdown affects one or more agencies. It would be released once funding is restored. Like federal government employees, senators will receive full back pay "as soon as practicable after the date on which the Government shutdown ends."

Kennedy said the measure represents "shared sacrifice" after a year marked by unprecedented disruptions. "Last October, we shut down government for 43 days. That is the longest shutdown in history," Kennedy said in floor remarks. "And then, three months later, after we finally got out of that 43-day shutdown, we shut down the Department of Homeland Security. It was shut down for 76 days."

The federal government was in a full or partial shutdown for more than 119 days between October 1, 2025, and May 1, 2026, during which all members of Congress received their full pay while federal employees missed paychecks. Kennedy's resolution, which passed by voice vote, will take effect following the midterm elections in November.

In order to get the votes to adopt the resolution, Kennedy said he "had to make a few accommodations," including that it did not apply to the House and wouldn't take effect before the elections to comply with the 27th Amendment. Members of Congress earn $174,000 annually, with those in leadership positions making more.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/14/repub/senate-votes-to-freeze-members-pay-during-future-shutdowns/)
- [Full text of Senate Resolution 526](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-resolution/526/text)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/14/repub/senate-votes-to-freeze-members-pay-during-future-shutdowns/.