Several Utah members of Congress reject paychecks during shutdown

WASHINGTON — Several members of Utah’s congressional delegation say they will refuse to accept their salaries during the government shutdown in a show of solidarity with federal employees who are not getting paid despite still working.

Government employees have either been furloughed, meaning they are sent home and prohibited from doing their jobs, or have been deemed essential and required to work without pay. However, lawmakers are mandated by law to receive paychecks even during a government shutdown, prompting pushback from some Congress members who say they won’t accept the payments.

Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, informed the Senate financial clerk he would not be picking up his paychecks for the duration of the shutdown, according to a letter he sent to the office that was obtained by the Deseret News. Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, sent a similar letter to the House financial office, with his office noting he finds it “wildly inappropriate” for lawmakers to accept compensation while federal employees do not have the choice.

Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, will also refuse his checks, telling C-SPAN on Friday morning he has “opted out” until the government is reopened.

“Hopefully we do that soon,” Moore said.

Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, has not formally asked to withhold her salary, but she told the Deseret News that lawmakers need to be focused “on getting the government open and paying everyone who’s earning a paycheck right now.”

Rep. Burgess Owens and Sen. Mike Lee have not yet responded to inquiries from the Deseret News.

Lawmakers have long refused their paychecks in the event of a shutdown, with some even pushing for a constitutional amendment to block salary payments when the government is closed. Curtis previously introduced the No Work, No Pay bill when he was in the House that would prohibit lawmakers from being paid in a shutdown, but it has never passed.

Kennedy introduced the same bill on Sept. 30 ahead of the shutdown deadline, but the House has not been back in session since then.

Federal workers have not been paid since the shutdown took effect on Oct. 1, meaning Senate staffers have now missed two pay periods. House staffers get paid on a monthly basis, making this week the first paycheck they have not received — raising concerns among staffers who must pay rent and other commitments.

Several staffers told the Deseret News they have explored alternative options such as applying for loans, pulling from their savings accounts, or borrowing money from their friends and family. The Trump administration has reallocated federal funds to pay military members during the shutdown, but other federal workers have gone without paychecks.

Lawmakers have pushed for votes on individual bills to pay certain federal workers, but no proposal has garnered enough support to pass as Democrats initially opposed them over concerns Trump would unfairly exclude some employees from payments.

Senate Democratic leaders have since switched their stance, but Republicans are now blocking those efforts — instead accusing Democrats of wanting votes as political cover.

“We just want to say thank you for your diligence, for doing your job, for your service to the country, even though Democrats are withholding your paycheck,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on Friday.

The shutdown is set to enter its second month on Saturday and is on track to become the longest shutdown in history if the government remains closed past Tuesday. The Senate isn’t set to return until Monday evening.