I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2771

To provide that rates of basic pay for Members of Congress be determined

as a function of efforts to eliminate the Federal deficit.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

DECEMBER 13, 1995

Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland (for himself, Mr. SALMON, Mr. WAMP, Mr.

HOKE, Mrs. SMITH of Washington, Mr. DAVIS, Mrs. CHENOWETH, Mr.

METCALF, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr.

ALLARD, Mr. DREIER, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr. CHRYSLER, Mr. STOCKMAN, Mr. DORNAN, Mr. EHRLICH,

Mr. COBURN and Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi) introduced the following

bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Oversight

A BILL

To provide that rates of basic pay for Members of Congress

be determined as a function of efforts to eliminate the

Federal deficit.

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 ‘‘Congressional Pay for

5 Performance Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

7 For purposes of this Act—
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1 (1) the term ‘‘Federal deficit’’ has the meaning

2 given the term deficit by section 3(6) of the Con3 gressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 622(6));

4 (2) the term ‘‘deficit target’’, as used with re5 spect to a fiscal year, means the maximum allowable

6 Federal deficit for such fiscal year, as set forth in

7 the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal

8 year 1996;

9 (3) the term ‘‘concurrent resolution on the

10 budget’’ has the meaning given such term by section

11 3(4) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2

12 U.S.C. 622(4)); and

13 (4) the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means an

14 individual who holds a position referred to in section

15 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of

16 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31), as amended by section 4.

17 SEC. 3. PAY AS A FUNCTION OF EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE

18 THE FEDERAL DEFICIT.

19 (a) IF DEFICIT TARGETS ARE NOT MET.—

20 (1) INTERIM TARGETS.—If, for any of fiscal

21 years 1996 through 2001, inclusive, the Federal def22 icit for such fiscal year exceeds the deficit target for

23 such fiscal year by more than $1 billion, then, effec24 tive as of the first day of the first applicable pay pe25 riod of the first calendar year beginning after the
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1 end of such fiscal year, the rate of basic pay for

2 each Member of Congress shall be equal to the rate

3 in effect on the day before the date of the adjust4 ment under this paragraph, reduced by the percent5 age derived by multiplying 0.5 percent by the num6 ber of billions of dollars (after rounding to the next

7 lower multiple of $1 billion) by which such target

8 was so exceeded, except that nothing in this para9 graph shall cause any rate to be reduced below zero.

10 (2) FINAL TARGET.—If the Federal deficit for

11 fiscal year 2002 is $1 billion or greater, then, effec12 tive as of the first day of the first applicable pay pe13 riod in calendar year 2003, the rate of basic pay for

14 each Member of Congress shall be zero.

15 (b) IF DEFICIT TARGETS ARE MET.—

16 (1) OTHER THAN BY ELIMINATING THE DEFI17 CIT.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), if, for

18 any of fiscal years 1996 through 2001, inclusive, the

19 Federal deficit for such year is less than, or within

20 $1 billion of, the deficit target for such fiscal year,

21 then no change shall be made in the rate of basic

22 pay for any Member of Congress based on the size

23 of the Federal deficit for such year.

24 (2) BY ELIMINATING THE DEFICIT.—If, for any

25 of fiscal years 1996 through 2002, inclusive, the
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1 Federal deficit for such year is less than $1 billion,

2 then, effective as of the first day of the first applica3 ble pay period of the first calendar year beginning

4 after the end of such fiscal year—

5 (A) the rate of basic pay for each Member

6 of Congress shall be restored to the rate in ef7 fect as of December 31, 1995; and

8 (B) this section shall cease to be effective.

9 (c) DETERMINING THE SIZE OF THE DEFICIT.—For

10 purposes of this section, the size of the Federal deficit for

11 any fiscal year shall be as determined by the Congressional

12 Budget Office (in writing)—

13 (1) on the basis of the Final Monthly Treasury

14 Statement of Receipts and Outlays of the United

15 States Government, published by the Department of

16 the Treasury; and

17 (2) excluding any increase in tax revenues, at18 tributable to the fiscal year involved, which occurs

19 by reason of any provision of law enacted after the

20 date of the enactment of this Act.

21 (d) EXCEPTION.—The rate of basic pay for an indi22 vidual shall, for the duration of such individual’s first term

23 of office as a Member of Congress, be determined as if

24 this section had never been enacted.

25 (e) SUSPENSION IN TIME OF WAR.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—In the event of a war de2 clared by Congress, rates of pay shall be restored to

3 the rates that would then be payable if, and shall be

4 subject to adjustment in the same way as if, this

5 section had never been enacted, subject to paragraph

6 (2).

7 (2) END OF WAR.—After any such war ends,

8 the preceding subsections of this section shall again

9 become effective, except that, in applying such sub10 sections—

11 (A) any reference to fiscal year 1996 shall

12 be deemed to be a reference to the first fiscal

13 year beginning after the date on which such

14 war ends; and

15 (B) any reference to any later fiscal year

16 shall be determined accordingly.

17 The respective fiscal years to which the deficit tar18 gets set forth in any concurrent resolution on the

19 budget for fiscal year 1996 shall be determined in

20 like manner for purposes of so applying such sub21 sections.
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1 SEC. 4. ELIMINATION OF AUTOMATIC ANNUAL PAY ADJUST2 MENTS FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (2) of section 601(a)

4 of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C.

5 31) is repealed.

6 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 601(a)(1)

7 of such Act is amended—

8 (1) by striking ‘‘(a)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘(a)’’;

9 (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B),

10 and (C) as paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively;

11 and

12 (3) by striking ‘‘, as adjusted by paragraph (2)

13 of this subsection’’.

Æ