4:34The U.S. Capitol is pictured on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, November 11, 2025.Win Mcnamee/Getty Images
Close to 40% of the U.S. House of Representatives opted out of receiving their salaries during the federal government impasse, based on an ABC News examination of congressional offices.
That contingent featured the heads of both the Republican and Democratic parties in the House, namely Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., whose offices verified for ABC News that they requested their pay be suspended for the duration of the shutdown.
“I communicated clearly to my constituents that my compensation will be withheld,” Jeffries stated recently on CNN.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries addresses the press on day 37 of the U.S. government shutdown at the Capitol in Washington, November 6, 2025.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
In contrast to their support staff and other federal employees, members of Congress and delegates have their salaries guaranteed by the Constitution during a government closure.
The House was scheduled to vote on reopening governmental operations this Wednesday, which might result in the government resuming services later in the week.
In total, 242 House offices — surpassing half of the congressional body — did not respond to ABC News’ queries regarding how their representatives are managing their income during the shutdown.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks to the press during a ceremonial swearing-in of Representative Adelita Grijalva at the Capitol, Nov. 12, 2025.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Among the members of Congress successfully contacted by ABC News, the representatives for six members — all from the Democratic Party — verified they have continued receiving their paychecks during the shutdown: Reps. Andre Carson of Indiana, Danny Davis of Illinois, Eric Sorensen of Illinois, Nikema Williams of Georgia, Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, and Adam Gray of California.
“Like the majority, Rep. Pettersen is unable to do without her earnings. She holds that it is absolutely unacceptable for federal employees to ever be placed in this predicament, considering that they provide crucial services we rely upon and form a key element of our society and economy,” a spokesperson for Pettersen communicated to ABC News.
Gray told ABC affiliate KFSN-TV, “No, I have no belief in meaningless political displays. Legislation stipulates that Congress is entitled to compensation. That’s embedded in the Constitution.”
Rep. Brittany Pettersen speaks during the the Mother’s Day Press Conference calling for action on Care and Reproductive rights, May 8, 2024, in Washington, D.C.Jemal Countess/Getty Images
ABC News will keep its data updated as offices respond to queries about member compensation.
In general, 170 members of Congress voiced their choice to forgo their compensation in accord with federal employees amid the shutdown, even as they accused the opposing party of triggering the budgetary conflict in late September.
“I will not be receiving a paycheck during this shutdown. Congress should not be paid while American workers, including our uniformed service members, go without,” Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, shared on X during the impasse.
“No Congress member should receive a salary while this is ongoing — hence my refusal to accept it,” Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, stated on X during the shutdown.
Rep. Dusty Johnson listens as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Oct. 7, 2025.Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
A group of fourteen legislators — comprising five Republicans and nine Democrats — are contributing their earnings, or making preparations to donate their pay after the shutdown concludes, to a selection of community-based organizations, such as food banks and nonprofits.
Republican Reps. Cory Mills of Florida, Glen Grothman of Wisconsin, Buddy Carter of Georgia, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, and Jefferson Shreve of Indiana are either allocating their paychecks, forgoing receipt of their pay and donating it, or intending to donate their pay at the conclusion of the shutdown.
The nine Democratic legislators receiving and donating their compensation include: Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota, Jim Himes of Connecticut, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, Scott Peters of California, George Whitesides of California, Bill Foster of Illinois, Sara Jacobs of California, Shri Thanedar of Michigan, and Yassamin Ansari of Arizona.
Both Craig and Peters have put forward proposals to hinder legislators from being compensated during a government shutdown.
Rep. Angie Craig speaks during a press conference to discuss how the ongoing government shutdown is affecting SNAP food aid benefits and healthcare, on Capitol Hill, Oct. 28, 2025.Kylie Cooper/Reuters
Concerning the six nonvoting delegates within the House of Representatives, Del. Amata Radewagen, R-American Samoa, planned to formally request a postponement of her salary, while Pablo Jose Hernandez, the nonvoting Democratic representative of Puerto Rico in Congress, revealed his intent to withhold his pay as of Oct. 1. (The remaining four offices did not provide any replies to questions posed by ABC News).
Max Stier, serving as the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, expressed that the choices members make regarding their paychecks “are not resolving the fundamental problems” presented by the government shutdown.
“They ought to fulfill their responsibilities and ensure the government remains operational,” he conveyed to ABC News, further remarking that lawmakers “should avoid permitting their failure to perform their duties to create this related harm” of compelling hundreds of thousands of government personnel to either stay home or continue working without remuneration for a period of five weeks.
“The key takeaway is to draw suitable conclusions from these recent events,” Stier indicated, as he urged Congress to approve fresh legislation designed to prevent future government shutdowns, or to guarantee that federal workers receive timely compensation should another shutdown materialize.
ABC News collaborators Emily Chang and Brittany Shepherd, alongside KFSN-TV’s Gabe Ferris, contributed to the reporting.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
