by Jeroslyn JoVonn
October 17, 2025
‘Until this affects you the way it’s affecting your constituents, y’all are not going to settle this.’
Whoopi Goldberg is urging members of Congress to refuse their paychecks until the government shutdown is brought to an end.
During the Oct. 15 Hot Topics segment of The View, Goldberg and her co-hosts praised major media outlets for their almost unified refusal to sign the Pentagon’s new press coverage requirements. Goldberg said seeing both left- and right-leaning outlets reject the rules introduced by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shows that “the press is recognizing they are stronger together.”
The move prompted Goldberg to take her stance a bit further by encouraging the House of Representatives and the Senate to opt out of their salaries as the government shutdown continues.
MAJOR NETWORKS WON’T SIGN PENTAGON PRESS POLICY: ‘The View’ co-hosts weigh in on the joint statement issued from ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News Media and NBC News declaring the new Pentagon policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections. pic.twitter.com/6NhqgSb8FE
— The View (@TheView) October 15, 2025
The EGOT winner’s remarks were met with enthusiastic applause from the studio audience and the full agreement of her co-hosts.
“Because…until this affects you the way it’s affecting your constituents, y’all are not going to settle this. So as an American, I am asking that you not take a salary until you settle this,” she concluded.
As of Oct. 17, the U.S. government has been shut down for 17 days due to Congress’ failure to pass funding legislation for 2026. The shutdown has halted pay for roughly 2 million federal workers and furloughed another 750,000.
Public frustration continues to grow as lawmakers collect six-figure salaries ($174,000 for party leaders; $224,000 for the Speaker of the House) and face criticism for being paid while government operations remain stalled.
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