Concord Action: One Small Step For Fiscal Responsibility

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 14, 2026: Concord Action Executive Director Carolyn Bourdeaux issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate’s approval of a resolution (S. Res. 526) that will block senators’ paychecks during future federal government shutdowns:

“The U.S. Senate just took a step toward fiscal responsibility by pledging to suspend their own pay if and when other public-sector workers have to forgo their paychecks in future government shutdowns. Admittedly, this is a small step because the federal budget process itself is a complete mess with a $2 trillion annual structural deficit. However, anything that provides elected officials with added motivation to get the budget process back on track should be applauded. Hopefully the U.S. House quickly follows suit and passes a similar “No Budget No Pay” resolution through their chamber soon. It’s really this simple: if elected officials can’t get their work done on time, they shouldn’t get paid on time.”