Why Not Put Congress on Medicare?

Every few months, Congress threatens to shut down the government — and every time, ordinary Americans pay the price. Workers lose paychecks, services stop, and uncertainty ripples through the economy. Meanwhile, lawmakers keep their salaries and elite insurance coverage.

So here’s a simple question: why not put Congress on Medicare — with a work requirement?

Same Coverage, No Loopholes

Members of Congress love to debate what kind of healthcare you deserve. Some call Medicare “government overreach.” Others say we can’t afford it. Fine — let them live with it firsthand.

Every Senator and Representative would be automatically enrolled in Medicare. No more special congressional plans, no private perks — and no “backdoor” options. They wouldn’t be allowed to buy private supplemental coverage.

If it’s good enough for seniors and people with disabilities, it’s good enough for the people who make the laws.

Let them experience the same wait times, billing headaches, and coverage limits as the rest of us. My guess? The system would start improving fast.

Work Requirement: Keep the Government Open

Here’s the kicker: their Medicare benefits only stay active as long as the government does.

If Congress shuts it down, their coverage — and their paychecks — stop immediately.

They’ve imposed work requirements on food assistance, unemployment, and Medicaid. They say people need “skin in the game.” Okay — let’s apply that logic where it really belongs.

If they can’t do the basic work of keeping the lights on, they don’t get paid, and they don’t get care. Simple as that.

Shared Stakes, Better Results

Imagine how quickly bipartisan deals would appear if members of Congress risked losing their own healthcare during a shutdown. Suddenly, compromise wouldn’t look so bad.

If lawmakers had to live under the same programs they legislate for the rest of us, they’d finally have an incentive to fix them — instead of using them as talking points.

Why Not?

If it’s good enough for the American people, it should be good enough for Congress.

No perks. No exemptions. No excuses.

Why not put Congress on Medicare — and make them earn it like the rest of us?

Why Not Garnish Lawmakers’ Income During a Shutdown?

When Congress fails to pass a budget, the government shuts down. Millions of Americans lose paychecks or get sent home without knowing when they’ll return. But the people responsible — members of Congress — keep getting paid. Their campaign ads still run. Their donors keep donating. Their stock portfolios keep growing.

Why not change that?

If lawmakers can’t keep the government open, every form of their income — salary, campaign funds, speaking fees, investment gains (realized or not) — should be subject to automatic garnishment until the shutdown ends. The proceeds would go directly to pay essential federal workers who must keep working without pay: air traffic controllers, TSA agents, border staff, medical researchers, food inspectors.

We already garnish wages for unpaid taxes or child support. Why not apply the same principle to the people who cause financial harm to millions of others through political gridlock?

Imagine if, during a shutdown, congressional paychecks and campaign accounts were drained first to keep the lights on. If every day of delay meant watching their own net worth shrink, lawmakers might suddenly discover the art of compromise.

It’s simple accountability. If politicians want to hold the country hostage for leverage, they should be the first to feel the cost — not the last.

Why should public servants be immune from the pain they inflict on everyone else?

Why not make them live — and pay — by their own shutdown?