Bill cannot work even if passed. It would require an amendment because its constitutionally guaranteed AND guaranteed via 27th amendment. Grok had this to say

PROMPT: "how is it that congress is paid during a government shutdown when other us employees are not?"

Members of Congress continue to receive their salaries during a government shutdown because their compensation is constitutionally protected and funded separately from the annual appropriations bills that lapse during a shutdown, unlike most other federal employees whose pay depends on those appropriations.

Key Differences in Funding

Congress's Pay Structure: Under Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution, members of Congress "shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States." This salary—$174,000 annually for most members (higher for leadership roles)—is authorized through permanent, non-expiring appropriations, not the discretionary spending bills that fund executive agencies. As a result, it doesn't stop when those bills expire.

Other Federal Employees: The vast majority of the roughly 2 million civilian federal workers and contractors rely on annual appropriations from Congress. During a shutdown, non-essential employees are furloughed (sent home without pay), while "essential" workers (e.g., air traffic controllers, border agents) must continue working but also go unpaid until funding resumes. Since a 2019 law, all federal employees receive retroactive back pay once the shutdown ends, but contractors do not have this guarantee.

Constitutional Barriers to Change

The 27th Amendment (ratified in 1992) further entrenches this: "No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened." This prevents Congress from passing any immediate legislation to withhold its own pay during a shutdown, as it would affect the current congressional term. Proposals to end this practice (e.g., withholding pay or forgoing back pay) have been introduced repeatedly by both parties but have never passed, often requiring a constitutional amendment for permanence.