Overview
- The Senate, which unanimously advanced the measure Wednesday, set up a final vote on Sen. John Kennedy’s plan to withhold senators’ pay during funding lapses.
- Majority Leader John Thune scheduled the vote, and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will vote yes, making passage likely.
- The resolution applies only to senators and would begin after the November 2026 elections, with pay held in escrow until the shutdown ends.
- The push comes after a series of recent shutdowns, including a Homeland Security lapse that lasted more than two months and led over 1,100 TSA employees to quit, disrupting travel.
- Lawmakers are also weighing structural fixes, including paying essential federal workers during lapses and imposing automatic two‑week stopgap funding until full deals are reached.