U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today introduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to require Members of Congress to forfeit their paychecks during government shutdowns. The U.S. Constitution requires that Members of Congress receive compensation, even if the government is shut down.
Under Graham’s amendment, Members would forfeit their salaries during a government shutdown and those salaries would be redirected towards the U.S. Treasury Department to reduce the federal debt.
Graham said, “If Members of Congress had to forfeit their pay during government shutdowns, there would be fewer shutdowns and they would end quicker. In that regard, I have introduced a constitutional amendment that, if ratified, would bar Members of Congress from receiving a paycheck for the duration of a shutdown. The U.S. Constitution requires Members of Congress to be paid, even during government shutdowns. This is the most constitutionally sound way to deal with this problem.”
Graham continued, “Not only should Members of Congress not get paid during shutdowns, but the forfeited salaries should be used to pay down the federal debt. Under this amendment, congressional salaries would be sent back to the U.S. Treasury to make payments on our debt. Shutdowns are foolish exercises—this constitutional amendment would force Congress to start acting responsibly.”
In order to become law, the amendment must be passed by two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and then be ratified by three-fourths of the states.
Read the full text of Graham’s constitutional amendment HERE.
At the beginning of the 2025 government shutdown, Graham announced he would donate his paycheck for the duration of the shutdown to Upstate Warrior Solution, a non-profit providing community-based solutions to warriors and their families in South Carolina.
