Senator proposes tax on lawmakers during shutdown
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R‑Ohio) plans to introduce the SHUTDOWN Act, a bill that would impose a new, daily tax on Members of Congress while a federal government shutdown persists. Moreno argues the measure would force lawmakers to 'feel the pain' of a funding lapse; the proposal is presented alongside discussion of constitutional limits on altering congressional pay and amid an ongoing Senate impasse over a short‑term funding resolution.
Politics
Government
🔍 Key Facts
- Sponsor: Sen. Bernie Moreno (R‑Ohio) intends to file the Stop Holding Up Taxpayers, Deny Wages On Washington’s Negligence (SHUTDOWN) Act.
- Mechanism: the bill would create a new tax specifically aimed at lawmakers that would increase each day a shutdown continues while members are in session.
- Context: the measure is being pitched as the federal government enters its third day of a partial shutdown; article notes only three Senate Democrats joined Republicans on a recent GOP funding bill vote.
- Constitutional note: the article cites Article I, Section 6 and the 27th Amendment as legal constraints relevant to altering congressional compensation.
📍 Contextual Background
- The United States federal government entered a partial shutdown on 2025-10-01 after the midnight funding deadline passed with Democrats and Republicans failing to agree on a funding bill.
- On 2025-09-19 the U.S. House of Representatives passed a funding measure that would have given Congress until 2025-11-21 to set fiscal year 2026 (FY2026) funding priorities.