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Yep they do and here's why.
It is — by the Constitution.
The 27th Amendment to the Constitution restricts any Congress from changing its own pay. The measure was proposed in the first days of the Republic but was not ratified until 1992, after a grass-roots movement promoted the idea and the necessary number of state legislatures approved it.
While many may have wanted to restrain Congress from increasing its pay, the amendment also blocks Congress from freezing or cutting its compensation.
The result? Congress gets paid no matter what. Gabbard is not the only member surprised.
“I don’t even know whether it stops or not,” Rep. John Fleming, R-Louisiana, said when asked about his pay during a shutdown.
When told that the Constitution mandates congressional paychecks stay as-is, Fleming responded that he hadn’t thought through what he would do yet but would likely donate his pay during a shutdown to charity
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