“Every Senate Democrat voted to pass my resolution. I hope this is a sign that my colleagues will no longer resort to shutting down the country as their default response to our disagreements—but I regret to say I won’t be holding my breath.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Washington Times explaining why his resolution to withhold pay from senators during government shutdowns could prevent future funding lapses—and how Congress could make shutdowns even more painful for lawmakers in the future.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“Government shutdowns cause nothing but pain for most Americans. Our national park rangers, FBI agents, and CDC scientists work without pay. Airports begin to resemble the game room at a psych ward. And our economy loses an estimated $15 billion per week in GDP.
“For some politicians, though, government shutdowns can be a win-win. They can throw the country into chaos to further their political agenda, and they never miss a single paycheck along the way.
“In turn, government shutdowns have become the default solution for members of Congress who refuse to work together to overcome political differences.”
. . .
“That’s why I’ve been working to change the rules of the Senate to block members from receiving paychecks during a shutdown. . . . And after months of pressure, my colleagues finally saw the light. Last week, my resolution passed the Senate through a voice vote.
“I’m not saying this is going to stop all shutdowns. To start, my resolution only affects Senators. The House of Representatives will have to come up with its own rule if it wants its members to feel the financial sting of a government shutdown.”
. . .
“If I were king for a day, my resolution would take effect immediately, no Senator would be able to leave Washington during a government shutdown, and we wouldn’t get back pay, either. But I can’t get the votes. This current resolution, however, is an important first step in ensuring that every senator has some skin in the game when they vote to shut down the government. It’s called shared sacrifice.
“Every Senate Democrat voted to pass my resolution. I hope this is a sign that my colleagues will no longer resort to shutting down the country as their default response to our disagreements—but I regret to say I won’t be holding my breath.”
Read Kennedy’s op-ed here.
