Congressman Ralph Norman did what too few in Washington have the courage to do: he reintroduced a constitutional amendment to stop members of Congress from collecting pay during a government shutdown. Norman argued bluntly that when federal workers and troops go without pay because of lawmakers’ failures, Capitol insiders should not continue to cash checks as if nothing happened.
This commonsense move comes against the backdrop of a shutdown that began on October 1, 2025, after Senate Democrats blocked a Republican stopgap funding measure and refused to negotiate in good faith. While the elites in Washington play political games, hardworking Americans are feeling the pain—families, TSA agents, and air traffic controllers are being put under intolerable strain because career politicians prioritize power over people.
Norman’s proposal is simple and honest: zero pay for members of Congress while a shutdown is in effect, and no retroactive back pay once the lights come back on. He’s not alone; several House Republicans have cosponsored the resolution, pushing accountability where it has been absent for far too long in the swamp. This isn’t theatrics — it’s about forcing elected officials to live under the same rules they demand of ordinary Americans.
Let’s be clear: the responsibility for ending these shutdowns lands squarely on the shoulders of the negotiators, and too often the Democrats have shown no appetite for compromise. Instead of bargaining in good faith, House and Senate Democrats have repeatedly voted down measures to keep the government running unless their wishlist is met, proving once again that political leverage trumps public service for the left. Washington needs pressure from patriots and lawmakers like Norman to break the cycle of pay-forplay bargaining.
Meanwhile, the human cost is real — service members and federal employees face missed paychecks and mounting bills as the stalemate persists. The White House and Pentagon are scrambling to find stopgap solutions to ensure troops get paid, but that scramble shouldn’t be necessary if Congress would simply do its job and pass spending bills on time. It’s an affront to those who serve our country that politicians would play brinkmanship instead of protecting paychecks and readiness.
Some members of Congress have tried to do the right thing by refusing or deferring their pay, a gesture the public rightly applauds but which doesn’t solve the systemic problem. Voluntary refusals are admirable but won’t stop the next shutdown or the one after that; only a binding constitutional fix or statutory change will force lasting accountability. Voters should demand more than promises — they should demand rules that make failing to fund the government personally costly for those who broke it.
Americans are tired of being treated like collateral damage in political theater, and conservatives should rally behind Norman’s straightforward demand: if you can’t do the job, you shouldn’t get paid for it. This amendment is not radical — it’s a restoration of accountability, a dose of common sense for a Washington that has forgotten who it serves. Lawmakers who refuse to face that reality should be out of a job, and patriots everywhere should make sure they know it at the ballot box.
