Thune blesses push to block senator pay during government shutdowns

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) put his stamp of approval on legislation Tuesday that would block senators from receiving paychecks during a government shutdown.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) has pressed leadership to call a vote on the legislation during the last two government shutdowns, and Thune said it came up again as the Senate began preparing to pass an immigration funding bill that would fully reopen the Department of Homeland Security.

“I committed to get it up and get a vote on it,” Thune said of his conversations with Kennedy, telling the Washington Examiner that he would support the legislation when the Senate takes its first procedural vote on Wednesday.

“It’s a resolution that applies just to the Senate, but frankly, I think it’s good policy,” Thune said, calling it an “additional incentive” to avoid future shutdowns.

The measure cleared the Senate Rules Committee unanimously in December, signaling it would have