Funding the government is the most basic constitutional function of Congress. When lawmakers repeatedly fail at this fundamental task, it shows just how dysfunctional our legislative system has become. In the last six months, America has endured three government shutdowns. The latest — a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security — is now in its seventh week and is a clear example of this systemic failure. It is an embarrassment to the country and creates real harm: serious hardship for federal workers and their families, billions of dollars in economic losses, risks to national security amid ongoing military action in the Middle East, and daily inconveniences for millions of American taxpayers.

This current DHS shutdown began on February 14, 2026, when Congress could not reach an agreement on funding for agencies that protect our borders, airports, coasts, digital infrastructure, and communities. The standoff stems from profound legislative disagreements over funding priorities. While most of the federal government remains open, nearly 240,000 DHS employees who keep us safe have been left without pay. But do you know who is still receiving their full paychecks? Members of Congress.

The harms of government shutdowns are well-documented across multiple credible sources. Harvard Kennedy School researchers explain that repeated shutdowns erode public confidence in government and create lasting economic and human costs. The University of Virginia Darden School of Business found that each shutdown delivers a “morale shock” to federal workers equal to a 10 percent pay cut. This leads to more people quitting, a costly brain drain of experienced staff, and reduced performance across agencies. The Congressional Research Service report on the 43-day 2025 government shutdown showed roughly 670,000 federal employees furloughed at some point and another 730,000 working without pay. It estimated a cumulative GDP loss of about $11 billion, plus $1 billion per week in losses to the travel economy alone.

The National League of Cities detailed how these shutdowns ripple through local communities. Small businesses lose access to loans, Head Start programs for young children close, and families dependent on heating assistance or Medicaid face real hardship. No Labels highlighted the specific hidden costs of the current DHS shutdown: more than 260,000 employees affected, with roughly 90 percent considered essential and working without pay. Cybersecurity capacity at CISA has dropped to 38 percent. FEMA grants for disaster preparedness are frozen.

Moreover, the human toll right now is disturbing. About 61,000 TSA officers, along with tens of thousands of Coast Guard members, FEMA staff, and CISA experts, continue showing up to work without a paycheck — many for the third time in six months. Some TSA agents are sleeping in their cars because they cannot afford housing. Others are selling blood plasma just to buy gas for their commute. Families are draining savings, missing rent or mortgage payments, and struggling to put food on the table for themselves and their families. Hundreds of TSA officers have already resigned, and thousands more are calling out sick, with rates reaching more than 40 percent at some major airports on busy days.

These struggles hit at the worst possible time. Spring break travel is in full swing. Easter and Passover celebrations are approaching. The Senate has left Washington for a two-week recess. To make matters even more complicated, this summer the United States will co-host the FIFA World Cup, bringing hundreds of thousands of additional travelers through our airports. Long security lines, flight delays, and the risk of partial airport closures could create chaos for weeks, even after funding is finally restored.

The contrast could not be more glaring. While many taxpayers and federal workers live paycheck to paycheck and face these hardships, members of Congress continue to receive their full $174,000 salaries without interruption. They experience none of the stress or uncertainty they are causing.

If Congress is unable to compromise to the point of forcing a government shutdown, then its members should share in the hardship. More than 60 members of Congress from both parties have already endorsed the simple idea of no shutdown pay (and importantly, no backpay) for lawmakers during any lapse in federal government funding. This common-sense reform would give every member of Congress some skin in the game. It would encourage faster negotiations and fewer standoffs.

The first step is clear: Congress must do its job and pass funding to end this DHS shutdown now. The second step is to pass No Shutdown Pay reform so that if lawmakers cannot agree, they at least feel the same pinch as the people who keep the country running.

Americans deserve better than repeated shutdowns and excuses from their elected officials. It is time for Congress to share the pain it creates — and finally fix this broken legislative system, which keeps producing government shutdowns that harm millions of Americans.

Jack Magruder is Executive Director of No Shutdown Pay for Congress (www.shutdownpay.org). He can be reached at jack@shutdownpay.org. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.