Ah, the annual congressional drama: the government shuts down, the monuments close, bureaucrats shuffle home, and America collectively rolls its eyes while the political class lectures us about “doing the people’s work.” Except, of course, those same lawmakers somehow still manage to get paid. Funny how that works.
Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina seems to be one of the few in Washington capable of spotting the hypocrisy. His proposal to suspend congressional pay during a government shutdown is about as radical as suggesting that employees shouldn’t be paid for work they haven’t done—a notion that apparently confuses a good portion of Capitol Hill.
Norman’s amendment is simple, really. If Congress can’t fulfill its most basic constitutional duty—funding the government—then its members shouldn’t collect a check. You know, the same standard every other working American faces. A small business owner doesn’t get to bill clients when the doors are locked. A mechanic doesn’t get paid when the shop’s closed.
But the political class? Oh, they’re “essential” in their own minds, even as their gridlock drags on for weeks. Norman’s move calls their bluff: if they’re so confident in their principles, let them live with the consequences of their “leadership.”
During shutdowns, federal workers are told to “do more with less.” Meanwhile, Congress still cashes paychecks. That’s wrong.
I’ve reintroduced an Amendment to end Member pay during shutdowns. Zero. No back pay either!! pic.twitter.com/WU7fxhetH7
— Rep. Ralph Norman (@RepRalphNorman) September 30, 2025
Predictably, the proposal has about as much chance of success as a CNN anchor registering Republican. A constitutional amendment needs two-thirds of both chambers to sign off—a tall order when half of Washington’s political elite would sooner vote to raise their own salaries than give up a paycheck. But let’s not ignore the symbolism here.
Norman is putting his money where his mouth is, something that sets him apart in a city where talk is cheap and virtue-signaling is a full-time profession. This is the same guy who refused his pay during the 2018 shutdown while reminding everyone that our troops and border agents weren’t so lucky. Meanwhile, the same crowd that calls for “equity” seems just fine with a system where bureaucrats miss rent payments but Nancy Pelosi’s direct deposit hits right on time.
Naturally, the media treats Norman’s effort with its usual condescension. The professor from Boston University calling the amendment “as likely as Joan Baez performing at a MAGA rally” is a perfect encapsulation of Beltway cynicism. It’s not that they disagree on principle—it’s that they’ve accepted dysfunction as the price of doing business. The ruling class doesn’t like ideas that impose consequences, especially on themselves. Accountability is quaint, like a rotary phone or balanced budgets.
Norman’s logic is unimpeachable, though. Why should Congress expect to be paid when it can’t even pass a funding bill? They’ve got one job—keep the government running. If they can’t manage that, maybe they should experience the same uncertainty they inflict on military families and federal employees. Democrats like Senator Andy Kim are parroting similar talking points about refusing pay, but let’s be honest—that’s easy to say when the cameras are rolling. When the shutdown ends, they’ll still get their back pay. Norman’s version actually has teeth: no pay, no backpay, no nonsense.
Congressman Ralph Norman Wants to End Congressional Pay During Shutdowns…@RepJeffries doesn’t seem too enthusiastic about that – at least if his “amnesia moment” is any clue.
When Washington shuts down, tens of thousands of Americans lose their paychecks. Congress, however,… pic.twitter.com/v2XR9hsyMo
— LindellTV (@RealLindellTV) October 3, 2025
The Washington elite are insulated from the pain they cause. Their salaries arrive like clockwork, their staff fetch their coffee, and their speeches about “service” flow effortlessly from behind the comfort of a taxpayer-funded cushion. Ralph Norman is cutting through that illusion. He’s not calling for partisan theatrics—he’s demanding a return to reality. You don’t get paid for failure. It’s that simple.
So, while the rest of the country endures another round of political brinkmanship, at least someone in Congress is willing to remind his colleagues that they work for us—not the other way around. The fact that this notion seems revolutionary tells you everything you need to know about Washington.
