[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3057 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3057
To reduce the annual rate of pay of Members of Congress if a Government
shutdown occurs during a year, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 27, 2025
Mr. Kennedy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reduce the annual rate of pay of Members of Congress if a Government
shutdown occurs during a year, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns
Act''.
SEC. 2. NO PAY FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DURING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``Government shutdown'' means a lapse in
appropriations for 1 or more Federal agencies or departments;
(2) the term ``Member of Congress'' means an individual
serving in a position under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of
section 601(a)(1) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946
(2 U.S.C. 4501(1)); and
(3) the term ``payroll administrator'', with respect to a
House of Congress, means--
(A) in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of the
Senate, or an employee of the Office of the Secretary
of the Senate who is designated by the Secretary to
carry out the requirements of this section; and
(B) in the case of the House of Representatives,
the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of
Representatives, or an employee of the Office of the
Chief Administrative Officer who is designated by the
Chief Administrative Officer to carry out the
requirements of this section.
(b) Requiring Reduction of Pay of Members of Congress if Government
Shutdown Occurs.--
(1) In general.--If on any day during a pay period a
Government shutdown is in effect, the payroll administrator of
each House of Congress shall exclude from the payments
otherwise required to be made with respect to that pay period
for the compensation of each Member of Congress who serves in
that House of Congress an amount equal to the product of--
(A) an amount equal to one day's worth of pay under
the annual rate of pay of the Member under section
601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2
U.S.C. 4501); and
(B) the number of 24-hour periods during the pay
period during which the Government shutdown is in
effect.
(2) Effective date.--This subsection shall apply with
respect to days occurring after the date of the regularly
scheduled general election for Federal office held in November
2026 (in this section referred to as the ``pay reduction
effective date'').
(c) Special Rule for Members of Congress Before General Election.--
(1) Holding salaries in escrow.--If on any day before the
pay reduction effective date a Government shutdown is in
effect, the payroll administrator of each House of Congress
shall--
(A) withhold from the payments otherwise required
to be made with respect to a pay period for the
compensation of each Member of Congress who serves in
that House of Congress an amount equal to the product
of--
(i) an amount equal to one day's worth of
pay under the annual rate of pay applicable to
the Member under section 601(a) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2
U.S.C. 4501); and
(ii) the number of 24-hour periods during
which the Government shutdown is in effect
which occur during the pay period; and
(B) deposit in an escrow account all amounts
withheld under subparagraph (A).
(2) Release of amounts at end of the congress.--In order to
ensure that this subsection is carried out in a manner that
shall not vary the compensation of Senators or Representatives
in violation of the 27th Amendment to the Constitution of the
United States, the payroll administrator of a House of Congress
shall release for payments to Members of that House of Congress
any amounts remaining in any escrow account under this
subsection on the pay reduction effective date.
(3) Applicability.--This subsection shall apply with
respect to days during the period beginning on the date of
enactment of this Act and ending on the pay reduction effective
date.
(d) Role of Secretary of the Treasury.--The Secretary of the
Treasury shall provide the payroll administrators of the Houses of
Congress with such assistance as may be necessary to enable the payroll
administrators to carry out this section.
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