Congress Collected $20K Paychecks Amid 43-Day Shutdown, Costing Americans Billions While 1.3 million active-duty service members, over 750,000 Guard and Reserve troops, and roughly 1.4 million federal workers endured furloughs or worked without pay during the historic 43-day government shutdown, members of Congress continued to collect their constitutionally protected salaries—amounting to more than $20,000 each. The shutdown, … Continue reading In The News Today.11/14/2025.