WASHINGTON (AP) ā The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution on Thursday to withhold senators' pay during government shutdowns, a move intended to make federal closures financially painful for lawmakers after a series of record-breaking impasses in recent years.
The resolution, introduced by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and James Lankford (R-OK), passed by a voice vote with no opposition. It would require that senators' salaries be held in escrow during any lapse in appropriations and not be released until the shutdown ends.
Under current law, members of Congress continue to receive their salaries during shutdowns, even as hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed or forced to work without pay. The new measure aims to align lawmakers' financial incentives with the need to avoid prolonged funding gaps.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where its fate is uncertain. Similar proposals have been introduced in the past but have not advanced to a vote in the House.
