After months of bruising shutdown battles that threw federal workers and travelers into chaos, the Senate finally did something rare in Washington.

Lawmakers voted to make themselves share in the pain.

In a unanimous vote, senators approved a resolution that will cut off their own paychecks during any future government shutdowns.

The move, spearheaded by Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, was a symbolic but telling gesture.

Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

Kennedy declared it “shared sacrifice,” a small dose of accountability for a political class often insulated from the messes it creates.

During the last twelve months, the country endured not one but two massive shutdowns.

The first lasted 43 days, the longest in U.S. history.

The second, a Department of Homeland Security closure that dragged on for 76 days, crippled important security functions.

FREE Gun Law Map: Laws Don't Pause During Social Unrest

For Americans dealing with the fallout, especially TSA workers who showed up without paychecks, Washington gridlock was not a policy debate but a financial nightmare.

Kennedy took to the Senate floor and did not sugarcoat Congress’s failure. “We ought to hide our heads in a bag,” he said bluntly.

“It’s got to stop.”

He called the resolution a step toward restoring public trust and making lawmakers endure the same economic strain they force upon others when funding battles spiral out of control.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin blasted the most recent 80 day shutdown, warning it damaged national security and left lasting scars.

TSA agents quit in record numbers, airport lines stretched endlessly, and key intelligence functions slowed. It was a sobering wake up call.

While most senators supported Kennedy’s measure, few believe it will automatically end the dysfunction that causes shutdowns.

Pay may be withheld, but as many conservatives point out, Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have shown little hesitation to use shutdowns as political leverage when it benefits their narrative.

WATCH:

In fact, even though Schumer said he would back Kennedy’s plan, Republicans remain skeptical.

They suspect Democrats might again play chicken with government funding to paint conservatives as obstructionists heading into the next election.

Kennedy’s resolution conveniently does not take effect until after November, leaving current senators safe from immediate consequences.

That timing was not lost on GOP members who view it as typical Washington theater.

Talk tough, pass some feel good legislation, and then postpone real action until it no longer matters politically.

Kennedy, however, insists it is a needed start.

He said lawmakers must “feel the burn” if they expect to fix what has become an embarrassing pattern of governance failure.

Other senators are pushing broader reforms. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma has proposed automatically renewing short term funding every two weeks to prevent shutdowns entirely.

His plan would keep operations running while negotiations continue, avoiding the devastating stop-start chaos that costs taxpayers billions.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin wants to guarantee that federal workers receive pay even when the government shutters.

Supported by several federal employee unions, his effort seeks to stop shutdowns from punishing front line workers who have nothing to do with Capitol Hill’s budget stand offs.

These moves reflect an acknowledgment that shutdowns, once considered a rare and extreme tactic, have become a routine bargaining chip.

In the process, they have eroded faith in Washington’s competence.

The image of unpaid TSA officers guiding irate travelers through security or FBI agents taking side jobs to pay bills is a powerful symbol of political failure.

Republicans have argued that Democrats have abused shutdown maneuvers to score political points.

Rather than face tough spending negotiations honestly, they stall until the lights go out and the fingers start pointing.

Conservatives say that if lawmakers’ own paychecks are frozen too, maybe they will think twice before weaponizing the budget process.

For voters, especially those outside the Beltway bubble, it is hard to muster much sympathy for any senator collecting $174,000 a year while pretending to feel the same financial sting as regular Americans.

Kennedy’s resolution may not change that perception, but it at least forces lawmakers to walk a few steps in others’ shoes.

Still, cynicism lingers.

With elections approaching and both parties jockeying for control, insiders doubt the new rule will deter shutdown drama when the next funding fight erupts.

After all, missing a few weeks of pay is not much of a hardship when members of Congress have millionaire lifestyles and campaign coffers filled to the brim.

Kennedy’s message, however, resonated with many frustrated citizens. Washington talks endlessly about accountability but rarely practices it.

If senators must finally feel the sting of their own dysfunction, maybe the spectacle of shared suffering will spark the political courage to stop the vicious cycle once and for all.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Objectivist. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.