Retiring Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith said she would receive her state salary during the shutdown — only for her office to give it back.
Smith told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Thursday that she will not give up her salary as she continues to work at the Capitol during the shutdown of government funding. She helped block legislation to pay some federal employees, including congressional and Capitol Police employees who work without pay, is just minutes away. (RELATED: Democrat won't say if he'll forgo pay during shutdown while staff works for free)
“I'm going to keep getting paid,” Smith said when asked about some of her Democratic colleagues deciding to defer or donate salaries until after the shutdown. “I continue to work and I think the solution here is to end the lockdown by starting negotiations so that we can solve the problem.”
DCNF asked Smith's office for further comment, and a spokesperson responded that Smith may have been “confused by the issue.” The spokeswoman added that Smith's office asked for her salary to be deferred during the closure nearly two weeks ago.
The DCNF reviewed an email sent by Smith's staff to the Senate Expenditure Office on Oct. 10 requesting that the senator's salary be withheld. The letter was dated October 10, 2023. Smith's office did not provide additional details.
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 3: US Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) leave the Senate Democratic Caucus at the US Capitol Building on October 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Senate staff missed their first full paycheck Monday. Federal employees will not receive pay at the start of their next pay period, which begins Friday.
Legislators, however, are guaranteed paychecks because Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution protects their salaries.
Almost all Senate Democrats have voted opposed House-passed bipartisan government spending bills on 12 separate occasions. The shutdown is expected to last until next week, with no solution in sight.
DCNF asked Democratic lawmakers what they planned to do with their salaries during the shutdown.
The question angered some Democrats and left others speechless.
-Are you talking about this again? Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego responded to DCNF when asked what he plans to do with his salary. He immediately moved on to another question from the reporter.
Gallego told DCNF he is “still considering” what to do with his salary on Monday — the same day his employees missed their first full paycheck. He declined to discuss his employees working without pay during the shutdown.
The Arizona Democrat previously told NBC he couldn't give miss a salary. Lawmakers receive a base salary of $174,000 a year, and those in leadership positions receive additional income.
Some junior Hill employees earn less than a third of that salary.
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 24: Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) listen to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speak during a press conference on emergency abortion care at the US Capitol Building September 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Democratic Senator from Hawaii Mazie Hirono declined to say whether she deferred her salary or decided to receive it.
“I've done this in the past, so I would definitely consider it,” Hirono said when asked about her colleagues withholding benefits or donating their salaries.
Hirono then turned around and suggested that reporters should ask different questions.
“We need to focus on ending the shutdown, and Republicans need to focus on that,” Hirono told DCNF.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin dodged whether he received his salary during the funding gap.
“I've been through every single one of these shutdowns and tried every possible option,” responded Durbin, who represents Illinois in the Senate.
Washington Senator Patty Murray declined to comment on whether she received a salary during the quarantine.
Her colleague, Senator from California. Adam Schiff declined to speak with DCNF.
Several Democrats told the DCNF that they either deferred salary payments or planned to donate them during the funding cutoff.
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal said he would donate his salary to charity. Arizona Senator Mark Kelly said the same thing. Both declined to disclose details about their intended beneficiaries.
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said he will donate his salary to a federal employee relief fund.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who has delayed pay, criticized Democrats Thursday for filibustering legislation to pay essential federal workers during the shutdown.
“Twelve times Democrats have blocked payments to our federal workers,” Thune said on the Senate floor. “These are federal employees across the entire federal workforce, which is literally millions of Americans.”
“But there are people here,” Thune continued.
More than 300 federal employees who worked for free during the quarantine remained night at the Capitol earlier this week to accommodate a 22-hour speech by Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, who has been a fierce critic of the Trump administration all along.
The Oregon Democrat voted against legislation to pay those employees during Thursday's shutdown.
Representatives for Hirono, Durbin, Murray and Schiff did not respond to DCNF's request for comment before publication.
Andy Shay Napier and Kayden Olson contributed to this report.
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