NO WORK?! NO PAY! Kennedy Moves to Strip Congress Salaries During Shutdowns [WATCH]

Now there’s an idea.

Senator John Kennedy is done watching Washington cash checks while Americans go hungry.

The Louisiana Republican took to the Senate floor Wednesday to announce two hard-hitting bills that would prevent members of Congress from receiving pay during the ongoing 37-day government shutdown.

“If we can’t do our jobs and fund the government, we don’t deserve a paycheck — plain and simple,” Kennedy said.

The proposals — the “No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act” and the “Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act” — would either cut off congressional pay entirely or lock it in escrow until the government reopens.

“Some may say this violates the 27th Amendment. I don’t think it does,” Kennedy argued. “That’s why I’m offering two different flavors of bills.”

Kennedy, who says he’s heard “a lot of rumors” about a potential deal but doubts progress is real, warned that “we’re going to be in shutdown a while longer.”

He reminded colleagues that Barack Obama once backed similar legislation in 2013 — and it worked.

“Members of Congress had an epiphany and they found religion,” Kennedy quipped. “And they opened up government.”

The senator blasted Democrats for treating American pain as bargaining power, referencing House Minority Whip Katherine Clark’s admission that suffering families were “leverage” in negotiations.

“That’s why I’ve been working to make sure that only members of Congress feel the pain of a shutdown,” Kennedy shot back.

So far, his earlier efforts to protect federal workers and military paychecks have been rejected — even as Kennedy says government employees have had to borrow $365 million just to pay rent.

Kennedy’s message couldn’t be clearer: Congress shouldn’t get paid to fail.

Watch the clip below:

BREAKING: @SenJohnKennedy said he’s bringing 2 shutdown related bills to withhold Congressional paychecks.

He believes we’re going to be in a shutdown “a while longer.”

– First bill that says as long as we are shut down, members of Congress can’t be paid and they WON’T be… pic.twitter.com/VkFXT835JM

— Amber Jo Cooper (@AmberJoCooper) November 5, 2025