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Which members of Congress have publicly said they would refuse pay during a federal shutdown?
Executive summary
A notable and growing number of lawmakers have publicly pledged to forgo pay during the 2025 federal shutdown; several Republicans — including Senators John Kennedy and supporters like Representatives Bryan Steil, Eli Crane, Ryan Zinke and Bryan Steil’s office — have introduced bills or said they won’t take pay (e.g., Kennedy’s No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act and Steil’s Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act) [1] [2] [3] [4]. Reporting and compilations show many members are “refusing or donating” pay but available sources do not provide a single definitive, up-to-the-minute roster of every Member of Congress who has publicly said they will refuse pay [5] [6].
1. Who’s publicly offered to refuse pay — the legislative and personal pledges
Several individual lawmakers have both proposed legislative changes and made personal pledges. Senator John Kennedy introduced at least two bills aimed at preventing members from getting pay during a shutdown — the No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act and a companion withholding measure — and he has said he personally will not take a salary during the shutdown [1] [7]. Representative Bryan Steil introduced companion House legislation, said he had his pay withheld, and publicly argued members should refuse pay during the shutdown [2]. Representative Eli Crane publicly requested his pay be withheld and has cosponsored related amendments [3]. Representative Ryan Zinke announced cosponsorship of Ralph Norman’s constitutional amendment to bar lawmakers from pay during shutdowns [4].
2. Legislative vehicles vs. personal promises — two separate tracks
There are two related but distinct efforts: bills that would legally withhold or eliminate congressional pay during shutdowns, and individual lawmakers voluntarily declining pay while no law yet requires it. Kennedy’s bills are explicit policy proposals to bar pay during shutdowns and to prevent back pay [1]. Steil’s Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act was introduced as a companion in the House [2]. Separately, multiple members have said they personally will forgo pay or have it withheld as a symbolic or accountability measure [7] [2] [3].
3. Scale and verification — what the sources confirm and what they don’t
Coverage indicates “a growing number” and “dozens” of members have pledged to refuse or donate pay, and at least a set of specific names and bills are documented in official press releases and compilations [6] [5] [1] [2]. However, available sources do not provide a single verified, comprehensive list of every Member who has publicly refused pay as of now; Squared Compass assembled a list as of Oct. 13, 2025, but that is an independent compilation and not an official congressional roster [5]. Therefore, precise totals or an authoritative, current roster are not found in the provided reporting.
4. Arguments and political framing from both sides
Proponents frame refusal or withholding as fairness and accountability: Kennedy and Steil argue Congress should “feel the same pain” as unpaid troops, air traffic controllers, and furloughed federal workers and that members “don’t deserve a paycheck” if Congress fails its appropriations duty [1] [2]. Republican office statements also characterize withholding as restoring budget accountability [4]. Opposing viewpoints are present in the broader shutdown debate — for example, some lawmakers and interest groups focus first on ensuring federal workers and troops are paid, and there was political resistance that blocked some bills intended to protect broad categories of workers [8] [7].
5. Legal and practical constraints — back pay and precedent
Kennedy’s and related bills aim not only to withhold current pay but to prevent back pay after the shutdown ends; that proposal runs into statutory and constitutional questions and political resistance — and some sources note Congress would need to pass a law to deny back pay as current practice and precedent typically result in back pay for furloughed workers once funding resumes [1] [9]. Existing debate includes efforts (like Ron Johnson’s Shutdown Fairness Act) to ensure excepted employees are paid during shutdowns, which highlights competing priorities in the legislative response [8] [7].
6. Media compilations and the limits of tracking pledges
Local and niche outlets reported “growing numbers” of lawmakers publicly vowing to decline pay (Spectrum Local News) and independent sites (Squared Compass) published lists of Members refusing or donating pay [6] [5]. These are useful but not equivalent to an official, continuously updated congressional record; the available reporting therefore provides strong evidence of an organized movement and some named participants but does not settle the precise count of every Member who has pledged to refuse pay [5] [6].
If you want, I can: (a) compile the named lawmakers cited across these sources into a single list, with links to each press release; or (b) track public congressional statements going forward to build a near–real-time roster from press releases and local reporting. Which would you prefer?