A new push in the U.S. Senate seeks to change the rules for lawmakers when the government stops running. Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL) took to the floor on Wednesday to introduce a resolution that would stop the government from using taxpayer money to reimburse members of Congress for travel expenses during a funding lapse.
The proposal comes as the Senate grapples with ongoing debates over funding for critical public safety agencies, specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Moody argued that if federal employees and agents are expected to continue their work during periods of financial uncertainty, lawmakers should be held to the same standard of dedication.
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“If we’re asking federal employees to deal with uncertainty… we should be willing to stay here and do ours,” Moody said during her remarks. She noted that under current practices, senators are often told to go home when the government shutters, with taxpayers picking up the tab for their travel back to their home states.
The resolution is designed to act as an incentive for Congress to remain in Washington and focus on reaching a resolution rather than leaving the capital while vital services remain unfunded.
Moody suggested that the historical way the Senate operates is no longer effective, especially when dealing with the security and morale of front-line agencies.
During her floor speech, the Florida senator highlighted the impact of short-term funding patches and political gridlock on agencies created after 9/11.
She emphasized that the “business as usual” approach in the Senate is failing the American people and that forcing members to stay in D.C.—without travel reimbursements—could lead to faster solutions.
“The buck stops here,” Moody stated. “We have to commit to solving this problem, not just funding the agencies, but solving the problem that how the Senate has done things historically is not working.”
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The resolution specifically targets the reimbursement of members’ travel home during any lapse in government funding. By cutting off this financial cushion, the bill aims to ensure that the focus remains on passing necessary reconciliation and funding bills to secure the nation’s borders and support law enforcement.
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