[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9031 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9031
To decrease the pay of Members of Congress during any period in which
continuing appropriations are in effect, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 29, 2022
Mr. Norman (for himself, Mr. Biggs, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, and Ms.
Mace) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on
Oversight and 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 decrease the pay of Members of Congress during any period in which
continuing appropriations are in effect, 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 Congressional
Recklessness Act''.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITING USE OF FUNDS FOR CERTAIN GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES
WHILE CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ARE IN EFFECT.
(a) Prohibition.--During the period described in subsection (c), no
appropriated funds, including official funds of the House of
Representatives, official funds of the Senate, or funds available under
any Federal law, rule, or regulation, may be used to pay for the costs
of any of the following:
(1) Travel by members of congress.--Travel by a Member of
Congress (except as provided in paragraph (1) of subsection
(b)).
(2) Travel by executive branch employees.--Travel by an
employee of an executive agency (except as provided in
paragraph (2) of subsection (b)).
(b) Exceptions.--
(1) Travel by members to washington metropolitan area.--
Subsection (a) does not apply with respect to travel by a
Member of Congress to the Washington Metropolitan Area.
(2) Waivers in case of emergency or threats to security.--
The head of an executive agency may waive the application of
subsection (a) to travel by an employee of the agency if the
head of the agency determines that travel by the employee is
necessary to respond to a threat to national security, a
significant law enforcement event, or a natural disaster or
other similar emergency.
(c) Period Described.--The period described in this subsection is
the period that--
(1) begins on the 1st day on which a continuing resolution
is in effect; and
(2) ends on--
(A) the date on which appropriations and funds are
no longer made available pursuant to a continuing
resolution; or
(B) if such appropriations and funds are no longer
made available as a result of a Government shutdown,
the later of the date such shutdown ends or the date on
which appropriations and funds are no longer made
available pursuant to a continuing resolution after the
date such shutdown ends.
(d) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) The term ``executive agency'' has the meaning given
that term in section 105 of title 5, United States Code, and
includes the Executive Office of the President, the United
States Postal Service, and Postal Regulatory Commission, but
does not include the Government Accountability Office.
(2) The term ``Washington Metropolitan Area'' means the
District of Columbia, the Counties of Montgomery and Prince
George's in Maryland, and the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax,
Loudon, and Prince William and the Cities of Alexandria and
Falls Church in Virginia.
SEC. 3. WITHHOLDING THE PAY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHILE CONTINUING
APPROPRIATIONS ARE IN EFFECT.
(a) Rule for One Hundred Seventeenth Congress.--
(1) Holding salaries in escrow.--If a pay period occurs
during the One Hundred Seventeenth Congress during the period
described in paragraph (2), the payroll administrator of each
House of Congress shall--
(A) deposit in an escrow account and exclude from
the payments otherwise required to be made with respect
to that 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) the daily rate of pay of 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
the pay period; and
(B) release amounts deposited in an escrow account
under subparagraph (A) to such Member of Congress only
upon the expiration of the period described in
paragraph (2).
(2) Period described.--The period described in this
paragraph is the period that--
(A) begins on the 1st day on which a continuing
resolution is in effect; and
(B) ends on the earlier of--
(i) the date on which appropriations and
funds are no longer made available pursuant to
a continuing resolution;
(ii) if such appropriations and funds are
no longer made available as a result of a
Government shutdown, the later of the date such
shutdown ends or the date on which
appropriations and funds are no longer made
available pursuant to a continuing resolution
after the date such shutdown ends; or
(iii) the last day of the One Hundred
Seventeenth Congress.
(3) Withholding and remittance of amounts from payments
held in escrow.--The payroll administrator of each House of
Congress shall provide for the same withholding and remittance
with respect to a payment deposited in an escrow account under
paragraph (1) that would apply to the payment if the payment
were not subject to paragraph (1).
(4) 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 amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of
a House of Congress shall release for payment to Members of
that House of Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow
account under this section on the last day of the One Hundred
Seventeenth Congress.
(b) Subsequent Congresses.--
(1) Withholding salaries.--If a pay period occurs during
the One Hundred Eighteenth Congress or any succeeding Congress
during the period described in paragraph (2), the payroll
administrator of each House of Congress shall exclude from the
payments otherwise required to be made with respect to that pay
period for the compensation of each Member of Congress who
serves in that House of Congress an amount equal to a decrease
of 1 percent of the annual rate of basic pay for the Member
under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of
1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) for each day during the pay period on
which a continuing resolution is in effect.
(2) Period described.--The period described in this
paragraph is the period that--
(A) begins on the 1st day on which a continuing
resolution is in effect; and
(B) ends on--
(i) the date on which appropriations and
funds are no longer made available pursuant to
a continuing resolution; or
(ii) if such appropriations and funds are
no longer made available as a result of a
Government shutdown, the later of the date such
shutdown ends or the date on which
appropriations and funds are no longer made
available pursuant to a continuing resolution
after the date such shutdown ends.
(c) Role of Secretary of the Treasury.--The Secretary of the
Treasury shall provide the payroll administrator of each House of
Congress with such assistance as may be necessary to enable the payroll
administrator to carry out this section.
(d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``payroll
administrator'', with respect to 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 section; 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 section.
SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.
For purposes of this Act, 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. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act--
(1) the term ``continuing resolution'' means, with respect
to a fiscal year for which an appropriation measure for the
fiscal year is not enacted before the beginning of such fiscal
year, a bill or joint resolution making continuing
appropriations for any program, project, or activity for which
funds were provided in the preceding fiscal year in the amount
provided in the corresponding appropriation Act for such
preceding fiscal year or, if the corresponding appropriation
bill for such preceding fiscal year did not become law, the
amount provided in a bill or joint resolution making continuing
appropriations for such preceding fiscal year; and
(2) the term ``Member of Congress'' means a Senator or a
Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the
Congress.
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