I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2214 

To prohibit the payment of salary to Members of Congress in the event 

of a Government shutdown, to direct the Congressional Budget Office 

to submit daily reports during the period in which a Government shutdown is in effect on the effects of the shutdown on the economy and 

the costs of the shutdown to taxpayers, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 27, 2017 

Mr. O’HALLERAN 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 prohibit the payment of salary to Members of Congress 

in the event of a Government shutdown, to direct the 

Congressional Budget Office to submit daily reports during the period in which a Government shutdown is in 

effect on the effects of the shutdown on the economy 

and the costs of the shutdown to taxpayers, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Government Shutdown 

3 Accountability and Economic Report Act of 2017’’. 

4 SEC. 2. PROHIBITING PAY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN 

5 EVENT OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. 

6 (a) PROHIBITION OF PAY.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—If on any day during a pay 

8 period a Government shutdown is in effect, the pay9 roll administrator of each House of Congress shall 

10 exclude from the payments otherwise required to be 

11 made with respect to that pay period for the com12 pensation of each Member of Congress who serves in 

13 that House of Congress an amount equal to the 

14 product of— 

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

16 pay under the annual rate of pay applicable to 

17 the Member under section 601(a) of the Legis18 lative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 

19 4501); and 

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

21 which the Government shutdown is in effect 

22 which occur during the pay period. 

23 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection shall 

24 apply with respect to days occurring after the date 

25 of the regularly scheduled general election for Fed26 eral office held in November 2018. 


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1 (b) SPECIAL RULE FOR ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH

2 CONGRESS.— 

3 (1) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.—If on any 

4 day during the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress a 

5 Government shutdown is in effect, the payroll ad6 ministrator of that House of Congress shall— 

7 (A) withhold from the payments otherwise 

8 required to be made with respect to a pay pe9 riod for the compensation of each Member of 

10 Congress who serves in that House of Congress 

11 an amount equal to the product of— 

12 (i) an amount equal to one day’s 

13 worth of pay under the annual rate of pay 

14 applicable to the Member under section 

15 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization 

16 Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501); and 

17 (ii) the number of 24-hour periods 

18 during which the Government shutdown is 

19 in effect which occur during the pay pe20 riod; and 

21 (B) deposit in an escrow account all 

22 amounts withheld under subparagraph (A). 

23 (2) RELEASE OF AMOUNTS AT END OF THE

24 CONGRESS.—In order to ensure that this subsection 

25 is carried out in a manner that shall not vary the 


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1 compensation of Senators or Representatives in vio2 lation of the twenty-seventh article of amendment to 

3 the Constitution of the United States, the payroll 

4 administrator of a House of Congress shall release 

5 for payments to Members of that House of Congress 

6 any amounts remaining in any escrow account under 

7 this subsection on the last day of the One Hundred 

8 Fifteenth Congress. 

9 (3) EXCEPTION FOR DAYS OCCURRING AFTER

10 GENERAL ELECTION.—This subsection does not 

11 apply with respect to any day during the One Hun12 dred Fifteenth Congress which occurs after the date 

13 of the regularly scheduled general election for Fed14 eral office held in November 2018. 

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

16 Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll admin17 istrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance 

18 as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrators 

19 to carry out this section. 

20 (d) PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR DEFINED.—In this 

21 section, the ‘‘payroll administrator’’ of a House of Con22 gress means— 

23 (1) in the case of the House of Representatives, 

24 the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of 

25 Representatives, or an employee of the Office of the 


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1 Chief Administrative Officer who is designated by 

2 the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out this 

3 section; and 

4 (2) in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of 

5 the Senate, or an employee of the Office of the Sec6 retary of the Senate who is designated by the Sec7 retary to carry out this section. 

8 (e) MEMBER OF CONGRESS DEFINED.—In this sec9 tion, the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means an individual 

10 serving in a position under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) 

11 of section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 

12 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501). 

13 SEC. 3. REPORTS BY CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ON 

14 ECONOMIC COSTS AND COSTS TO TAXPAYERS 

15 OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. 

16 Not later than 24 hours after each day on which a 

17 Government shutdown is in effect, the Director of the 

18 Congressional Budget Office shall submit a report to Con19 gress containing information on each of the following, 

20 based on the most recent information available to the Di21 rector: 

22 (1) An estimate of the economic output lost on 

23 that day as the result of the Government shutdown. 


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1 (2) An estimate of any decrease in gross domes2 tic product for the quarter that will occur as the re3 sult of the Government shutdown. 

4 (3) The value of any assistance, including loans, 

5 grants, and contracts, that the Small Business Ad6 ministration was unable to provide as the result of 

7 the Government shutdown. 

8 (4) The amount of any revenue for the National 

9 Park Service that was lost on that day as the result 

10 of the closure of National Park Service lands and 

11 historic sites. 

12 (5) An estimate of revenue lost on that day be13 cause of the effects of the Government shutdown on 

14 tourism and travel to and within the United States, 

15 including travel by foreign tourists. 

16 SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. 

17 For purposes of this Act, a Government shutdown 

18 shall be considered to be in effect if there is a lapse in 

19 appropriations for any Federal agency or department as 

20 a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill 

21 or continuing resolution. 

Æ 


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