I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5226 

To prohibit the use of official funds for travel by Members of Congress 

during a fiscal year until each of the regular appropriations bills for 

such fiscal year have been enacted into law, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 21, 2019 

Mr. CUNNINGHAM introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee 

on Rules, 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 prohibit the use of official funds for travel by Members 

of Congress during a fiscal year until each of the regular 

appropriations bills for such fiscal year have been enacted into law, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Funding Deadline En5 forcement Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITING MEMBER OFFICIAL TRAVEL UNTIL 

2 ALL APPROPRIATIONS BILLS ENACTED. 

3 (a) PROHIBITION.—If, by the first day of a fiscal 

4 year, each of the regular appropriation bills for such fiscal 

5 year has not been enacted into law, no appropriated funds, 

6 including official funds of the House of Representatives, 

7 official funds of the Senate, or funds available under any 

8 Federal law, rule, or regulation, may be used to pay for 

9 the costs of travel by a Member of Congress until each 

10 such bill is enacted into law. 

11 (b) EXCEPTIONS.— 

12 (1) TRAVEL BY MEMBER TO WASHINGTON MET13 ROPOLITAN AREA.—Subsection (a) does not apply 

14 with respect to travel by a Member of Congress to 

15 the Washington Metropolitan Area. 

16 (2) EMERGENCY.—Subsection (a) shall not 

17 apply with respect to travel by a Member of Con18 gress in response to an emergency, as determined— 

19 (A) by the Speaker of the House of Rep20 resentatives (with the concurrence of the minor21 ity leader of the House of Representatives), in 

22 the case of a Representative in, or Delegate or 

23 Resident Commissioner to, the Congress; or 

24 (B) by the majority leader of the Senate 

25 (with the concurrence of the minority leader of 

26 the Senate), in the case of a Senator. 


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1 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

2 (1) the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a 

3 Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resi4 dent Commissioner to, the Congress; 

5 (2) the term ‘‘regular appropriation bill’’ means 

6 any annual appropriation bill which, with respect to 

7 the Congress involved, is under the jurisdiction of a 

8 single subcommittee of the Committee on Appropria9 tions of the House of Representatives (pursuant to 

10 the Rules of the House of Representatives for that 

11 Congress) and a single subcommittee of the Com12 mittee on Appropriations of the Senate (pursuant to 

13 the Standing Rules of the Senate); and 

14 (3) the term ‘‘Washington Metropolitan Area’’ 

15 means the District of Columbia, the Counties of 

16 Montgomery and Prince Georges in Maryland, and 

17 the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon, and 

18 Prince William and the Cities of Alexandria and 

19 Falls Church in Virginia. 

20 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 

21 respect to travel taken by a Member of Congress on or 

22 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

23 SEC. 3. RESTRICTIONS ON ADJOURNMENT BY HOUSE. 

24 (a) PROHIBITING ADJOURNMENT FOR MORE THAN

25 12 HOURS; MANDATORY DAILY VOTE ON APPROVAL OF


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1 JOURNAL.—Rule XV of the Rules of the House of Rep2 resentatives is amended by adding at the end the following 

3 new clause: 

4 ‘‘Restrictions upon failure to enact regular appro5 priation bills 

6 ‘‘8.(a) If, by the first day of a fiscal year, each of 

7 the regular appropriation bills for such fiscal year has not 

8 been enacted into law, until each such bill is enacted into 

9 law— 

10 ‘‘(1) it shall not be in order for the House to 

11 stand adjourned for a period of more than 12 hours; 

12 and 

13 ‘‘(2) on each legislative day, the Speaker shall 

14 call for a recorded vote on the approval of the Jour15 nal of the last day’s proceedings. 

16 ‘‘(b) In this clause, the term ‘regular appropriation 

17 bill’ means any annual appropriation bill which is under 

18 the jurisdiction of a single subcommittee of the Committee 

19 on Appropriations.’’. 

20 (b) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWERS.—The pro21 visions of this section are enacted— 

22 (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 

23 the House of Representatives, and as such they shall 

24 be considered as part of the rules of the House, and 


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1 such rules shall supersede other rules only to the ex2 tent that they are inconsistent therewith; and 

3 (2) with full recognition of the constitutional 

4 right of the House of Representatives to change 

5 such rules (so far as relating to the House) at any 

6 time, in the same manner, and to the same extent 

7 as in the case of any other rule of the House. 

Æ 


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