Kennedy said these bills are designed so that Congress experiences the same financial hardship as federal employees, air traffic controllers, and military personnel who go unpaid during shutdowns, according to Fox News. He emphasized that withholding congressional salaries is not a bargaining tactic, but a matter of fairness.
“I don’t see missing paychecks or empty dinner plates as leverage or bargaining chips,” Kennedy said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “My bills ensure Congress feels the same pain as the folks we’re failing to pay — our troops, air traffic controllers, and federal workers. If we can’t do our jobs and fund the government, we don’t deserve a paycheck — plain and simple.”