Full List: Senators and Representatives Giving Up Their Pay During the 2025 Government Shutdown

As the 2025 U.S. federal government shutdown stretches beyond two weeks, a growing number of Senators and Representatives are refusing or donating their paychecks. This comprehensive guide explains why members of Congress still get paid during shutdowns, a concise history of past shutdowns, and an up to date list of lawmakers pledging to go without pay.

Why Members of Congress Still Receive Pay During a Government Shutdown

Even when millions of federal employees are furloughed, members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives continue to receive pay. There are three legal reasons:

1. Permanent Appropriation:
   Since 1981, congressional salaries have been funded through a permanent appropriation, not the annual spending bills that lapse during a shutdown.
   

2. Constitutional Requirement:
   Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution mandates that members “receive a Compensation for their Services,” and the 27th Amendment prevents Congress from changing its own pay until after the next election.
   

3. Administrative Limits:
   The Government Accountability Office has ruled that Member salaries cannot be legally waived mid-term. Instead, lawmakers may:

• Ask that pay be withheld or deferred until the shutdown ends.

• Donate their salary to charity or the U.S. Treasury.

Meanwhile, other federal workers are guaranteed back pay after any shutdown ends under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019.

Concise History of U.S. Government Shutdowns (1981–2025)

Modern shutdowns began after the 1980-81 Antideficiency Act interpretations by Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti. Since then, there have been several major funding lapses:

• 1981: First modern shutdown under Civiletti’s ruling

• 1982, 1984, 1986, 1990: Brief funding gaps lasting 1-3 days

• 1995–1996: Two Clinton-era shutdowns (5 days and 21 days)

• 2013: Sixteen-day shutdown over Affordable Care Act funding

• 2018–2019: The longest shutdown in U.S. history: 35 days over border wall funding

• 2025: The current shutdown, beginning October 1, 2025, continues with major agency closures and unpaid federal workers nationwide

How Many Lawmakers Gave Up Pay During the Longest Shutdown

During the 2018-2019 35-day shutdown, at least 102 members of Congress publicly pledged to forgo or donate their salaries: 20 Senators and 82 Representatives.

That equals roughly 20% of the Senate, 19% of the House, and 19% of Congress overall.

Their reasons were largely symbolic, showing solidarity with unpaid federal workers and emphasizing accountability for congressional gridlock.

List of 2025 Senators and Representatives Forgoing or Donating Their Pay

Below is the most complete, confirmed list (as of October 13, 2025) of lawmakers who have publicly stated they are declining, deferring, or donating their pay during the 2025 government shutdown.

Current U.S. Senators and Representatives who have official paperwork confirming their forgoing or donation of pay during the 2025 U.S. Government Shutdown.

Senators

• Andy Kim (D–NJ)

• Ashley Moody (R–FL)

• Lindsey Graham (R–SC)

• Ron Johnson (R–WI)

Representatives

• Seth Moulton (D–MA-06)

• Tom Kean Jr. (R–NJ-07)

• Ami Bera (D–CA-06)

• Jodey Arrington (R–TX-19)

• Zach Nunn (R–IA-03)

• Ashley Hinson (R–IA-02)

• Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R–IA-01)

• Brian Fitzpatrick (R–PA-01)

• Janelle Bynum (D–OR-05)

• Juan Ciscomani (R–AZ-06)

• Nikki Budzinski (D–IL-13)

• Lloyd Smucker (R–PA-11)

• Scott Perry (R–PA-10)

• John Joyce (R–PA-13)

• Eugene Vindman (D–VA-07)

• Gus Bilirakis (R–FL-12)

• Ron Estes (R–KS-04)

• Rob Bresnahan Jr. (R–PA-08)

• Tony Wied (R–WI-08)

• Maggie Goodlander (D–NH-02)

• Henry Cuellar (D–TX-28)

• Morgan McGarvey (D–KY-03)

• Brett Guthrie (R–KY-02)

• Nancy Mace (R–SC-01)

• Tom Barrett (R–MI-07)

Resident Commissioner (Territory)

• Pablo José Hernández Rivera (D–PR-At-Large)

These pledges include both members asking the House or Senate to withhold pay and those donating their salary to charities or causes related to federal workers.

What “Giving Up Pay” Really Means in Practice

Legally, members cannot cancel their pay entirely. Instead, they:

• Request delayed disbursement until the shutdown concludes, or

• Donate their received pay to nonprofit organizations, federal employee relief funds, or veterans’ causes.

Both methods are symbolic but carry strong political messaging, showing that elected officials share the financial pain they’ve helped cause through legislative deadlock.

Summary: Why This Matters in 2025

• The 2025 shutdown began on October 1, 2025, and remains unresolved.

• Dozens of Senators and Representatives are choosing to forgo or donate their pay.

• Historically, only about one in five members did the same during the record-long 2018–2019 shutdown.

• Public attention to lawmaker accountability and pay equity grows with each day of the closure.

By making their salaries public statements of responsibility, these members are trying to shift perception, showing that Congress should not be immune to the consequences of its own inaction.

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