It’s unfair and unacceptable that members of Congress continue to collect paychecks during a government shutdown while our military, federal law enforcement, and essential workers are forced to go without. If they can’t do their jobs to keep the government open, they shouldn’t get paid.

Every time the government shuts down, hardworking Americans — from military service members to federal law enforcement officers, national park employees, and countless other public servants — are left without pay.

Yet, members of Congress still receive their salaries.

This is fundamentally unjust. The people responsible for a shutdown should not be insulated from its consequences while those who protect and serve our nation are left struggling to make ends meet.

When Congress fails to pass a budget or fund the government, it’s not just a political stalemate — it’s a failure of leadership that impacts real lives. Families miss paychecks, bills pile up, and vital public services stop. Meanwhile, those in Congress — who are often among the highest-paid federal employees — continue to receive taxpayer-funded salaries.

We are calling on Congress to pass legislation that ensures:

Members of Congress do not receive pay during any government shutdown.
Congressional pay is withheld until the government reopens and all federal employees receive back pay.
Accountability is built into the system — because leadership should not come with immunity from responsibility.
If military members, law enforcement officers, and federal workers can go unpaid, so should the lawmakers whose inaction caused the shutdown in the first place.

It’s simple: No budget, no pay.

Sign this petition to demand that Congress stand with the American people — not above them. Let’s send a clear message: if they can’t keep the government open, they shouldn’t get paid.