Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz announced Tuesday he has asked the Senate's financial clerk to withhold his congressional salary for the duration of the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown — now in its 38th day with no deal in sight.
Cruz posted the announcement on his official X account, alongside a photo of his letter to Senate Financial Clerk Ted Ruckner. In the letter, Cruz wrote that he asked for his salary check to be held "for pickup in the Disbursing Office" until the shutdown ends, saying it is "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."
Cruz made a similar request during last fall's government shutdown, which lasted 43 days and became the longest shutdown in history.
Due to the Democrat’s Shutdown, I’ve asked the Financial Clerk of the Senate to hold my salary.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) March 24, 2026
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
The Texas senator has been one of the most prominent voices in Senate Republican efforts to break the funding stalemate. Democrats have refused to support a DHS funding package unless the administration agrees to reforms at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said Democrats will not agree to any funding until their demands — which include banning masks, changing rules around judicial warrants, and establishing a code of conduct for immigration officers — are met.
The shutdown has taken a significant toll on airport operations. Hundreds of TSA agents have quit, and thousands of others have called out of work, causing long lines at airports across the country. About 95% of TSA's 60,000 employees are considered essential workers but have not been receiving full paychecks.
Cruz has argued that millions of Americans are facing two-, three-, and four-hour wait times at airports during spring break travel season, directly blaming Democrats for refusing to fund TSA.
Top Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader John Thune, have been working on a plan to fund most of DHS while setting aside a portion of ICE's budget — a potential concession aimed at winning enough Democratic support to pass a deal. The funding agreement would still need to clear the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson faces a narrow majority.
DHS oversees several critical agencies beyond ICE and CBP, including TSA, FEMA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the U.S. Coast Guard — all of which have been affected by the funding lapse.
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Cruz wrote that he asked for his salary check to be held "for pickup in the Disbursing Office" until the shutdown ends
