# 119-sres-526: A resolution withholding the pay of Senators if a Government shutdown occurs.

119-sres-526, A resolution withholding the pay of Senators if a Government shutdown occurs., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (R-LA); status passed_senate (as of 2026-09-13).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-526
- As of: 2026-09-13
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-sres-526
- Congress: 119
- Title: A resolution withholding the pay of Senators if a Government shutdown occurs.
- Status: passed_senate
- Introduced: 2025-12-03
- Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (R-LA)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Policy area: Congress
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-13

## Summary

**Withholding Senators' pay during a government shutdown** would require the Secretary of the Senate to hold each Senator's compensation for the duration of any lapse in appropriations. The resolution defines a "Government shutdown" as a lapse in appropriations for one or more federal agencies or departments, allows the Secretary to designate an employee to carry out the rule, requires the Secretary to release held payments as soon as practicable after the shutdown ends, and makes the rule apply starting the day after the November 2026 general election.

## Cosponsors (4)

- Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX), 2026-03-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL] (R-FL), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL] (R-AL), 2026-05-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] (R-ME), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-05-13T12:28:00.000Z | senate | On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed S.Res. 526 | Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Agreed to | 99 | 0 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- No Senate pay during shutdowns: cost, high. During any government shutdown, the Secretary of the Senate holds each Senator’s pay. A shutdown means a lapse in funding for one or more federal agencies. Pay held during the shutdown is released as soon as practicable after it ends. This rule starts the day after the November 2026 general electio…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-3492: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025
- 119-s-1404: Combating Organized Retail Crime Act
- 119-s-1454: FIGHT Act of 2025
- 119-s-1289: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act

## Sources
- [119-sres-526 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-resolution/526)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-3492: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3492)
- [119-s-1404: Combating Organized Retail Crime Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1404)
- [119-s-1454: FIGHT Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1454)
- [119-s-1289: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1289)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-526 (as of 2026-09-13).