I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5993 

To prohibit the use of funds provided for the official travel expenses of 

Members of Congress and other officers and employees of the legislative 

branch for airline accommodations which are not coach-class accommodations, to prohibit the use of official funds for long-term vehicle leases 

for Members of Congress, to prohibit the use of the Members’ Representational Allowance for expenses of official mail of any material other 

than a document transmitted under the official letterhead of the Member 

involved, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 

Mr. ASHFORD 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 use of funds provided for the official travel 

expenses of Members of Congress and other officers and 

employees of the legislative branch for airline accommodations which are not coach-class accommodations, 

to prohibit the use of official funds for long-term vehicle 

leases for Members of Congress, to prohibit the use 

of the Members’ Representational Allowance for expenses 

of official mail of any material other than a document 

transmitted under the official letterhead of the Member 

involved, and for other purposes. 


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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 Ac5 countability Now Act’’ or the ‘‘CAN Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITING USE OF FUNDS FOR OFFICIAL TRAV7 EL EXPENSES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 

8 AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCH EMPLOYEES FOR 

9 AIRLINE ACCOMMODATIONS OTHER THAN 

10 COACH-CLASS. 

11 (a) PROHIBITION.—Except as provided in subsection 

12 (b), no funds appropriated or otherwise made available for 

13 the official travel expenses of a Member of Congress or 

14 other officer or employee of any office in the legislative 

15 branch may be used for airline accommodations which are 

16 not coach-class accommodations. 

17 (b) EXCEPTIONS.—Funds described in subsection (a) 

18 may be used for airline accommodations which are not 

19 coach-class accommodations for an individual described in 

20 subsection (a) if the use of the funds for such accommoda21 tions would be permitted under sections 301–10.121 

22 through 301–10.125 of title 41 of the Code of Federal 

23 Regulations if the individual were an employee of an agen24 cy which is subject to chapter 301 of such title. 


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1 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec2 tion may be construed to affect any officer or employee 

3 of an office of the legislative branch which, as of the date 

4 of the enactment of this Act, is subject to chapter 301 

5 of title 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 

6 (d) DEFINITIONS.— 

7 (1) COACH-CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS.—In this 

8 section, the term ‘‘coach-class accommodations’’ 

9 means the basic class of accommodation by airlines 

10 that is normally the lowest fare offered regardless of 

11 airline terminology used, and (as referred to by air12 lines) may include tourist class or economy class, as 

13 well as single class when the airline offers only one 

14 class of accommodations to all travelers. 

15 (2) MEMBER OF CONGRESS.—In this section, 

16 the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a Senator or 

17 a Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Com18 missioner to, the Congress. 

19 SEC. 3. PROHIBITING USE OF FUNDS FOR LONG-TERM VE20 HICLE LEASES BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. 

21 (a) PROHIBITION.—No funds appropriated or other22 wise made available during a fiscal year for the operations 

23 of a House of Congress, including the official and rep24 resentational expenses of a Member of Congress or the 

25 expenses of a committee or leadership office of a House 


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1 of Congress, may be used for the long-term leasing of a 

2 vehicle. 

3 (b) MEMBER OF CONGRESS DEFINED.—In this sec4 tion, the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a Senator 

5 or a Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commis6 sioner to, the Congress. 

7 SEC. 4. RESTRICTING USE OF FRANK BY MEMBERS OF THE 

8 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 

9 Section 311(e) of the Legislative Branch Appropria10 tions Act, 1991 (2 U.S.C. 503(e)) is amended by adding 

11 at the end the following new paragraph: 

12 ‘‘(3) Funds of the House of Representatives may not 

13 be used for official mail of a Member of the House of Rep14 resentatives for any material other than a document trans15 mitted under the official letterhead used for the Member’s 

16 stationery.’’. 

17 SEC. 5. REDUCTION IN PAY AND ELIMINATION OF AUTO18 MATIC PAY INCREASES FOR MEMBERS OF 

19 CONGRESS. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 601(a) of the Legislative 

21 Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) is amended 

22 to read as follows: 

23 ‘‘SEC. 601. (a) Effective as of the beginning of the 

24 first applicable pay period commencing after the date of 

25 the first regularly scheduled general election for Federal 


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1 office which is held after the date of the enactment of the 

2 Congressional Accountability Now Act, the annual rate of 

3 pay for— 

4 ‘‘(1) each Senator, Member of the House of 

5 Representatives, and Delegate to the House of Rep6 resentatives, and the Resident Commissioner from 

7 Puerto Rico, 

8 ‘‘(2) the President pro tempore of the Senate, 

9 the majority leader and the minority leader of the 

10 Senate, and the majority leader and the minority 

11 leader of the House of Representatives, and 

12 ‘‘(3) the Speaker of the House of Representa13 tives, 

14 shall be equal to the annual rate of pay for that position 

15 as of the date on which such general election is held, re16 duced by 10 percent.’’. 

17 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (a) shall take ef18 fect on the date of the first regularly scheduled general 

19 election for Federal office which is held after the date of 

20 the enactment of this Act. 

21 SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF CERTAIN RETIREMENT BENEFITS 

22 FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. 

23 (a) AMENDMENTS RELATING TO THE CIVIL SERVICE

24 RETIREMENT SYSTEM.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 

2 83 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by in3 serting after section 8335 the following: 

4 ‘‘§ 8335a. Termination of further retirement coverage 

5 of Members of Congress 

6 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro7 vision of this subchapter and subject to subsection (f), ef8 fective as of the date of enactment of this section— 

9 ‘‘(1) a Member shall not be subject to this sub10 chapter for any further period of time; and 

11 ‘‘(2) no further Government contributions or 

12 deductions from basic pay may be made with respect 

13 to such Member for deposit in the Treasury of the 

14 United States to the credit of the Fund. 

15 ‘‘(b) PRIOR RIGHTS NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in 

16 subsection (a) shall be considered to nullify, modify, or 

17 otherwise affect any right, entitlement, or benefit under 

18 this subchapter with respect to any Member covering any 

19 period prior to the date of enactment of this section. 

20 ‘‘(c) RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THRIFT SAVINGS

21 PLAN NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in subsection (a) shall 

22 affect the eligibility of a Member to participate in the 

23 Thrift Savings Plan in accordance with otherwise applica24 ble provisions of law. 


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1 ‘‘(d) REGULATIONS.—Any regulations necessary to 

2 carry out this section may— 

3 ‘‘(1) except with respect to matters under para4 graph (2), be prescribed by the Director of the Of5 fice of Personnel Management; and 

6 ‘‘(2) with respect to matters relating to the 

7 Thrift Savings Plan, be prescribed by the Executive 

8 Director (as defined by section 8401(13)). 

9 ‘‘(e) EXCLUSION.—For purposes of this section, the 

10 term ‘Member’ does not include the Vice President. 

11 ‘‘(f) OPT-IN.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

12 of enactment of this section, a Member covered by this 

13 subchapter as of such date of enactment may elect, by giv14 ing notice in writing to the official by whom such Member 

15 is paid, to remain subject to this subchapter.’’. 

16 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec17 tions at the beginning of chapter 83 of title 5, 

18 United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

19 the item relating to section 8335 the following: 

‘‘8335a. Termination of further retirement coverage of Members of Congress.’’. 

20 (b) AMENDMENTS RELATING TO THE FEDERAL EM21 PLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 84 

23 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by insert24 ing after section 8425 the following: 


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1 ‘‘§ 8425a. Termination of further retirement coverage 

2 of Members of Congress 

3 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro4 vision of this chapter, effective as of the date of enactment 

5 of this section— 

6 ‘‘(1) subject to subsection (f), in the case of an 

7 individual who first becomes a Member before such 

8 date of enactment— 

9 ‘‘(A) such Member shall not be subject to 

10 this chapter for any further period of time after 

11 such date of enactment; and 

12 ‘‘(B) no further Government contributions 

13 or deductions from basic pay may be made with 

14 respect to such Member for deposit in the 

15 Treasury of the United States to the credit of 

16 the Fund; and 

17 ‘‘(2) in the case of an individual who first be18 comes a Member on or after such date of enact19 ment— 

20 ‘‘(A) such Member shall not be subject to 

21 this chapter; and 

22 ‘‘(B) no Government contributions or de23 ductions from basic pay may be made with re24 spect to such Member for deposit in the Treas25 ury of the United States to the credit of the 

26 Fund. 


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1 ‘‘(b) PRIOR RIGHTS NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in 

2 subsection (a) shall be considered to nullify, modify, or 

3 otherwise affect any right, entitlement, or benefit under 

4 this chapter with respect to any Member covering any pe5 riod prior to the date of enactment of this section. 

6 ‘‘(c) RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THRIFT SAVINGS

7 PLAN NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in subsection (a) or (b) 

8 shall affect the eligibility of a Member to participate in 

9 the Thrift Savings Plan in accordance with otherwise ap10 plicable provisions of law. 

11 ‘‘(d) REGULATIONS.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any regulations necessary 

13 to carry out this section may— 

14 ‘‘(A) except with respect to matters under 

15 subparagraph (B), be prescribed by the Direc16 tor of the Office of Personnel Management; and 

17 ‘‘(B) with respect to matters relating to 

18 the Thrift Savings Plan, be prescribed by the 

19 Executive Director (as defined by section 

20 8401(13)). 

21 ‘‘(2) REFUNDS.—Notwithstanding subsection 

22 (b), the regulations under paragraph (1)(A) shall, in 

23 the case of a Member who has not completed at 

24 least 5 years of civilian service as of the date of en25 actment of this section, provide that the lump-sum 


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1 credit shall be payable to such Member to the same 

2 extent and in the same manner as if such Member 

3 satisfied paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 

4 8424(a) as of such date of enactment. 

5 ‘‘(e) EXCLUSIONS.—For purposes of this section, the 

6 term ‘Member’ does not include the Vice President. 

7 ‘‘(f) OPT-IN FOR MEMBERS.—Not later than 90 days 

8 after the date of enactment of this section, a Member cov9 ered by this chapter as of such date may elect, by giving 

10 notice in writing to the official by whom such Member is 

11 paid, to remain subject to this chapter.’’. 

12 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec13 tions at the beginning of chapter 84 of title 5, 

14 United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

15 the item relating to section 8425 the following: 

‘‘8425a. Termination of further retirement coverage of Members of Congress.’’. 

16 SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

17 This Act and the amendments made by this Act, 

18 other than sections 5 and 6, shall apply with respect to 

19 fiscal year 2017 and each succeeding fiscal year. 

Æ 


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