I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3234 

To withhold the pay of Members of Congress, the President, and the Vice 

President if a Government shutdown is in effect or the Government 

is unable to make payments or meet obligations because the public 

debt limit has been reached, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 2, 2013 

Mr. HALL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee 

on House Administration, 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 withhold the pay of Members of Congress, the President, 

and the Vice President if a Government shutdown is 

in effect or the Government is unable to make payments 

or meet obligations because the public debt limit has 

been reached, 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 ‘‘Pay Accountability 

5 Act’’. 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 3234 IH

1 SEC. 2. WITHHOLDING OF PAY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 

2 IF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS IN EFFECT 

3 OR PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT IS REACHED. 

4 (a) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.—If during any 

5 pay period during a Congress a Government shutdown is 

6 in effect or the public debt limit is reached, the payroll 

7 administrator of a House of Congress shall— 

8 (1) withhold from the payments otherwise re9 quired to be made with respect to the pay period for 

10 the compensation of each Member of Congress who 

11 serves in that House of Congress an amount equal 

12 to the product of— 

13 (A) an amount equal to one day’s worth of 

14 pay under the annual rate of pay applicable to 

15 the Member under section 601(a) of the Legis16 lative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31) 

17 for the pay period; and 

18 (B) the number of 24-hour periods during 

19 which the Government shutdown is in effect or 

20 the public debt limit is reached (as the case 

21 may be) which occur during the pay period; and 

22 (2) deposit in an escrow account all amounts 

23 withheld under paragraph (1). 

24 (b) TRANSFER TO SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY AT

25 END OF THE CONGRESS.— 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 3234 IH

1 (1) TRANSFER.—The payroll administrator of a 

2 House of Congress shall transfer to the Secretary of 

3 the Treasury any amounts remaining in any escrow 

4 account under this section on the last day of the 

5 Congress involved. 

6 (2) REQUIRING AMOUNTS TO BE USED FOR

7 DEFICIT REDUCTION.—Any amounts transferred to 

8 the Secretary of the Treasury under paragraph (1) 

9 shall be deposited in the Treasury and used for def10 icit reduction. 

11 (c) ROLE OF SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.—The 

12 Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll admin13 istrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance 

14 as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrators 

15 to carry out this section. 

16 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

17 (1) the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means an 

18 individual serving in a position under subparagraph 

19 (A), (B), or (C) of section 601(a) of the Legislative 

20 Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31); and 

21 (2) the ‘‘payroll administrator’’ of a House of 

22 Congress means— 

23 (A) in the case of the House of Represent24 atives, the Chief Administrative Officer of the 

25 House of Representatives, or an employee of 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 3234 IH

1 the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer 

2 who is designated by the Chief Administrative 

3 Officer to carry out this section; and 

4 (B) in the case of the Senate, the Sec5 retary of the Senate, or an employee of the Of6 fice of the Secretary of the Senate who is des7 ignated by the Secretary to carry out this sec8 tion. 

9 SEC. 3. WITHHOLDING OF PAY OF PRESIDENT AND VICE 

10 PRESIDENT IF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN OC11 CURS OR PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT IS REACHED. 

12 (a) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.—If during any 

13 pay period during a President’s or Vice President’s term 

14 of office a Government shutdown is in effect or the public 

15 debt limit is reached, the White House Office shall— 

16 (1) withhold from the payments otherwise re17 quired to be made with respect to the pay period for 

18 the compensation of the President or the Vice Presi19 dent an amount equal to the product of— 

20 (A) an amount equal to one day’s worth of 

21 pay under the annual rate of compensation of 

22 the President under 102 of title 3, United 

23 States Code, or the annual rate of salary of the 

24 Vice President under section 104 of title 3, 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 3234 IH

1 United States Code (as the case may be), for 

2 the pay period; and 

3 (B) the number of 24-hour periods during 

4 which the Government shutdown is in effect or 

5 the public debt limit is reached (as the case 

6 may be) which occur during the pay period; and 

7 (2) deposit in an escrow account all amounts 

8 withheld under paragraph (1). 

9 (b) ROLE OF SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.—The 

10 Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the White House 

11 Office with such assistance as may be necessary to enable 

12 the White House Office to carry out this section. 

13 (c) TRANSFER TO SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY AT

14 END OF TERM OF OFFICE.— 

15 (1) TRANSFER.—The White House Office shall 

16 transfer to the Secretary of the Treasury any 

17 amounts remaining in any escrow account under this 

18 section on the last day of the President’s or Vice 

19 President’s term of office involved. 

20 (2) REQUIRING AMOUNTS TO BE USED FOR

21 DEFICIT REDUCTION.—Any amounts transferred to 

22 the Secretary of the Treasury under paragraph (1) 

23 shall be deposited in the Treasury and used for def24 icit reduction. 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 3234 IH

1 SEC. 4. DETERMINATIONS. 

2 (a) GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.—For purposes of this 

3 Act, a Government shutdown shall be considered to be in 

4 effect if there is a lapse in appropriations for any Federal 

5 agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a 

6 regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution. 

7 (b) PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT.—For purposes of this Act, 

8 the public debt limit shall be considered to be reached if 

9 the Federal Government is unable to make payments or 

10 meet obligations because the public debt limit under sec11 tion 3101 of title 31, United States Code, has been 

12 reached. 

Æ 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS