119-hr1973

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1973 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1973

 To reduce the annual rate of pay of Members of Congress if the public 
 debt limit is reached or a Government shutdown occurs during a year, 
 and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 10, 2025

Mr. Vindman (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and 
in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To reduce the annual rate of pay of Members of Congress if the public 
 debt limit is reached or a Government shutdown occurs during a year, 
 and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``No Pay for Congress During Default 
or Shutdown Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUIRING REDUCTION OF PAY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IF PUBLIC 
 DEBT LIMIT IS REACHED.

    (a) Reduction of Pay for Each Day of Government Shutdown.--

    (1) In general.--If on any day during a year the public 
 debt limit is reached, the annual rate of pay applicable under 
 

section 601

    (a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 
 U.S.C. 4501) with respect to each Member of Congress for the 
 year shall be reduced by an amount equal to the product of--
        (A) an amount equal to one day's worth of pay under 
 such annual rate; and
        (B) the number of 24-hour periods during which the 
 public debt limit is reached.

    (2) Effective date.--This subsection shall apply with 
 respect to days occurring after the date of the regularly 
 scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 
 2026.

    (b) Special Rule for One Hundred Nineteenth Congress.--

    (1) Holding salaries in escrow.--If on any day during the 
 One Hundred Nineteenth Congress the public debt limit is 
 reached, the payroll administrator of that House of Congress 
 shall--
        (A) withhold from the payments otherwise required 
 to be made with respect to a pay period for the 
 compensation of each Member of Congress who serves in 
 that House of Congress an amount equal to the product 
 of--
            (i) an amount equal to one day's worth of 
 pay under the annual rate of pay applicable to 
 the Member under 

section 601

    (a) of the 
 Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 
 U.S.C. 4501), and
            (ii) the number of 24-hour periods during 
 which the public debt limit is reached which 
 occur during the pay period; and
        (B) deposit in an escrow account all amounts 
 withheld under subparagraph
        (A) .

    (2) Release of amounts at end of the congress.--In order to 
 ensure that this subsection is carried out in a manner that 
 shall not vary the compensation of Members of Congress in 
 violation of the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the 
 Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of 
 a House of Congress shall release for payments to Members of 
 that House of Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow 
 account under this subsection on the last day of the One 
 Hundred Nineteenth Congress.

    (3) Exception for days occurring after general election.--
 This subsection does not apply with respect to any day during 
 the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress which occurs after the date 
 of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office 
 held in November 2026.
            (c) Determination of Reaching of Public Debt Limit.--For purposes 
of this section, the public debt limit shall be considered to be 
reached if the Federal Government is unable to make payments or meet 
obligations because the public debt limit under 

section 3101 of title 
31, United States Code, has been reached.

SEC. 3. REQUIRING REDUCTION OF PAY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IF GOVERNMENT 
 SHUTDOWN OCCURS.

    (a) Reduction of Pay for Each Day of Government Shutdown.--

    (1) In general.--If on any day during a year a Government 
 shutdown is in effect, the annual rate of pay applicable under 
 

section 601

    (a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 
 U.S.C. 4501) with respect to each Member of Congress for the 
 year shall be reduced by an amount equal to the product of--
        (A) an amount equal to one day's worth of pay under 
 such annual rate; and
        (B) the number of 24-hour periods during which the 
 Government shutdown is in effect.

    (2) Effective date.--This subsection shall apply with 
 respect to days occurring after the date of the regularly 
 scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 
 2026.

    (b) Special Rule for One Hundred Nineteenth Congress.--

    (1) Holding salaries in escrow.--If on any day during the 
 One Hundred Nineteenth Congress a Government shutdown is in 
 effect, the payroll administrator of that House of Congress 
 shall--
        (A) withhold from the payments otherwise required 
 to be made with respect to a pay period for the 
 compensation of each Member of Congress who serves in 
 that House of Congress an amount equal to the product 
 of--
            (i) an amount equal to one day's worth of 
 pay under the annual rate of pay applicable to 
 the Member under 

section 601

    (a) of the 
 Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 
 U.S.C. 4501); and
            (ii) the number of 24-hour periods during 
 which the Government shutdown is in effect 
 which occur during the pay period; and
        (B) deposit in an escrow account all amounts 
 withheld under subparagraph
        (A) .

    (2) Release of amounts at end of the congress.--In order to 
 ensure that this subsection is carried out in a manner that 
 shall not vary the compensation of Senators or Representatives 
 in violation of the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the 
 Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of 
 a House of Congress shall release for payments to Members of 
 that House of Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow 
 account under this subsection on the last day of the One 
 Hundred Nineteenth Congress.

    (3) Exception for days occurring after general election.--
 This subsection does not apply with respect to any day during 
 the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress which occurs after the date 
 of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office 
 held in November 2026.
            (c) Determination of Government Shutdown.--For purposes of this 
section, a Government shutdown shall be considered to be in effect if 
there is a lapse in appropriations for any Federal agency or department 
as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or 
continuing resolution.

SEC. 4. ROLE OF SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.

 The Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll 
administrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance as may be 
necessary to enable the payroll administrators to carry out this Act.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Member of Congress.--In this Act, the term ``Member of 
Congress'' means an individual serving in a position under subparagraph
        (A) ,
        (B) , or
            (C) of 

section 601

    (a) of the Legislative Reorganization 
Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501).

    (b) Payroll Administrator.--In this Act, the ``payroll 
administrator'' of a House of Congress means--

    (1) in the case of the House of Representatives, the Chief 
 Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or an 
 employee of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer who 
 is designated by the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out 
 this Act; and

    (2) in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate, 
 or an employee of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate who 
 is designated by the Secretary to carry out this Act.
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