U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) wants to make sure that members of Congress don’t get paid during any time of federal government shutdown.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is the lone major agency that was not funded by Congress when they enacted the full-year FY2026 spending for most of the rest of government.

“I can promise you that if the staff in this building, if the men and women in this building, if members of Congress, House or Senate, weren’t getting a paycheck right now, they’d be much more eager to come to the table and to have a conversation and to figure out a pathway forward,” Britt said on the Floor of the Senate Friday.

Late last year, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced legislation that ensures members of Congress do not receive a paycheck until the federal government reopens following a shutdown or lapse in appropriations.

“I really think we should think long and hard about Senator Kennedy’s bill,” Britt explained. “I fully support it. I hope that we can get every one of our colleagues down here to do the same, Mr. President, because what Senator Kennedy’s bill says is that if there are people who have stepped up to serve our government in any capacity that are not getting a paycheck as a result of this body not doing its job, then we shouldn’t get one either. I think that’s pretty common sense.”

The No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act ensures that Members of Congress do not receive a paycheck during a government shutdown. Members will also not receive back pay.

The Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act (S.3057) would also mandate that payroll administrators for each House of Congress keep members of Congress’ paychecks in escrow accounts during a government shutdown. The funds are only disbursed at the start of the next Congress.

“I fully support it,” Britt continued. “If there are men and women who have stepped up to serve, in this instance, the Department of Homeland Security, which Mr. President, the very mission of that is to keep our homeland safe, to keep American citizens safe, many of them taking an oath to do just that, and they are not getting a paycheck. If they’re not getting one, we shouldn’t be either.”

The senator believes it’s important to force Democrats to go on the record and vote against such a common sense provision.

“So let’s put Senator Kennedy’s bill on the floor,” she said. “Let’s do it, and let’s see where everybody falls on this. And I can guarantee you, if this body and that body don’t get paychecks, they’ll be much more eager to make sure that other people get theirs. So Mr. President, I urge this body to take a look at Senator Kennedy’s legislation. I fully support it, and hope that we will vote on that in the days to come.”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee