U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said he is holding off his salary during the ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, invoking a long-standing and largely symbolic tradition among federal lawmakers.
In a post on X dated March 24, 2026, Cruz wrote, “Due to the Democrat’s Shutdown, I’ve asked the Financial Clerk of the Senate to hold my salary. It’s not right for Members of Congress to be paid if the working men and women of DHS aren’t.”
Due to the Democrat’s Shutdown, I’ve asked the Financial Clerk of the Senate to hold my salary.
It’s not right for Members of Congress to be paid if the working men and women of DHS aren’t. pic.twitter.com/XCRHdoLC7t
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) March 24, 2026
Cruz attached a letter addressed to the Senate’s financial clerk requesting that, “For the remainder of the current partial lapse in appropriations, please hold my salary check for pickup in the Disbursing Office,” adding, “It’s not right for Members of Congress to be paid during a partial shutdown if the working men and women of the Department of Homeland Security aren’t.”
His move mirrors actions taken by dozens of lawmakers during previous shutdowns, when members of Congress have sought to delay or donate their pay as a show of solidarity with furloughed or unpaid federal workers.
More than 100 lawmakers declined their pay during a prior shutdown, including 20 senators and 82 representatives from both parties, according to reporting that reviewed public statements and social media posts. Some asked for their pay to be withheld, while others pledged to donate it to charities or return it to the U.S. Treasury, according to CNN.
Such gestures, however, do not change the legal framework governing congressional compensation.
Lawmakers continue to receive salaries during shutdowns because their pay is funded through a permanent appropriation and protected under the Constitution.
As a result, members cannot fully waive their salary mid-term but can request delays or donate the funds after receiving them, according to analyses of federal law by Squared Compass and past shutdown practices.
The tradition of public officials declining pay dates back at least several decades.
John F. Kennedy, who was independently wealthy, donated his entire government salary to charity throughout his time in Congress and the White House, a practice he began in 1947. By the early 1960s, his total contributions were approaching $500,000, with his annual presidential salary of $100,000 directed to charitable causes, according to UPI archival reporting.
Cruz’s announcement comes amid a prolonged partial shutdown affecting DHS, leaving tens of thousands of federal workers, including Transportation Security Administration officers, working without full pay at American airports.
Previous reporting detailed how the shutdown disrupted air travel nationwide, with long security lines, staffing shortages, and hundreds of TSA officers resigning amid financial strain, according to earlier coverage by The Dallas Express. During the same period, Elon Musk publicly offered to cover TSA salaries, though such a proposal faced legal and logistical barriers because federal pay must come through congressional appropriations.
While gestures like Cruz’s may carry political messaging, historically, only a fraction of Congress has participated. During one of the longest shutdowns on record in 2018–2019, roughly one in five lawmakers pledged to forgo or donate their pay, according to Squared Compass.
The current DHS funding lapse remains unresolved, with negotiations ongoing and no clear timeline for restoring full pay to affected federal workers.
