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Congressman Ralph Norman cut through the Washington spin on Newsmax this week and told it like it is: if Congress shuts the country down, Members of Congress shouldn’t collect paychecks while hardworking federal employees are left scrambling. Norman made clear he’s fed up with Democratic stonewalling and called for concrete accountability measures to force lawmakers to actually do their jobs instead of playing partisan theater.
This outrage is rooted in real, painful consequences for Americans — the federal government went dark on October 1, 2025 after leadership failed to pass appropriations, and Democrats rejected a stopgap that would have pushed a solution forward while negotiations continued. Ordinary Americans saw programs stall and federal workers furloughed because national leaders put politics ahead of duty.
Norman’s demand echoes commonsense legislation already floating in Washington that would strip pay from lawmakers during shutdowns and defaults, making clear that privilege and permanent pay protections end when Congress abandons its duty. Bills like the No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act have been introduced to withhold or escrow congressional pay during funding lapses, because accountability shouldn’t be optional in the people’s House.
Conservatives know this is about fairness and muscle memory: if a teacher, a firefighter, or a single mom can lose pay for not showing up or for mistakes, the ruling class in Washington should not be immune. It is obscene for career politicians to draw their salaries while border security, veterans’ services, and hardworking public servants are left in limbo. Voters didn’t send these people to Washington so they could hide behind loopholes and excuses.
Meanwhile, the administration’s decision to find ways to pay the troops while other civilian federal employees face furloughs proves the point that ad hoc favors and PR gestures won’t fix the underlying problem of Washington’s dysfunction. Leaders can and do prioritize certain paychecks when the political pressure is right, proving that consistent rules — like no pay for lawmakers during shutdowns — would fix the incentive structure and restore honor to public service.
If Republicans truly want to defend taxpayers and rebuild trust, they should join Norman and support enforceable, permanent reforms that tie lawmakers’ pay and benefits to performance and the basic requirement of passing a budget. No gimmicks, no staged photo ops, and no cosmetic pledges — real law that ends the era of elite immunity when the rest of America pays the price.
Americans are watching. The next time career politicians choose politics over people, voters must remember who refused to pick up the phone and who voted to keep their pay while others went unpaid. Conservatives should press hard, speak plainly, and demand that Washington stops treating the American paycheck as optional.
