II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2313 

To prohibit congressional recesses until Congress adopts a concurrent resolution on the budget that results in a balanced federal budget by fiscal 

year 2024 and to control congressional travel budgets. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 8, 2014 

Mr. WALSH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To prohibit congressional recesses until Congress adopts a 

concurrent resolution on the budget that results in a 

balanced federal budget by fiscal year 2024 and to control congressional travel budgets. 

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 ‘‘Do Your Job Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) The Federal debt exceeds 

8 $17,000,000,000,000 and continues to grow. 


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1 (2) It is the responsibility of Members of Con2 gress to enact and implement policies that encourage 

3 economic growth and job creation, including a bal4 anced budget. 

5 (3) In 2013, the House of Representatives was 

6 in session only 160 days and the Senate was in ses7 sion only 156 days. 

8 (4) This means that, according to Federal Re9 serve Economic Data, the average American works 

10 10 more weeks per year than Congress is in session. 

11 (5) Congressional recess in a time of excessive 

12 national debt is a lost opportunity to reach agree13 ment about a balanced budget. 

14 SEC. 3. NO CONGRESSIONAL RECESSES. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—During the period beginning on 

16 the date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date 

17 specified in subsection (b), neither the Senate nor the 

18 House of Representatives may recess or stand adjourned 

19 for a period of longer than 24 hours. 

20 (b) BALANCED BUDGET AGREED TO.—The date de21 scribed in this subsection is the date of enactment of a 

22 concurrent resolution on the budget that establishes a level 

23 of deficit of $0 or a surplus by not later than fiscal year 

24 2024. 


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1 (c) RULES OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND

2 SENATE.—This section is enacted by Congress— 

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

4 the Senate and House of Representatives, respec5 tively, and as such it is deemed a part of the rules 

6 of each House, respectively, and it supersedes other 

7 rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with 

8 such rules; and 

9 (2) with full recognition of the constitutional 

10 right of either House to change the rules (so far as 

11 relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 

12 in the same manner, and to the same extent as in 

13 the case of any other rule of that House. 

14 SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL TRAVEL BUDGETS. 

15 (a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘em16 ployee’’, relating to a Member of Congress, means any in17 dividual employed by the Member of Congress in— 

18 (1) the office of the Member of Congress; 

19 (2) the office of a standing, select, or joint com20 mittee of Congress (or a subcommittee thereof); or 

21 (3) a leadership office of the Senate or the 

22 House of Representatives. 

23 (b) SUBMISSION OF BUDGET.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the date by 

25 which the President is required to submit the budget 


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1 of the President for a fiscal year under section 1105 

2 of title 31, United States Code, each Member of 

3 Congress shall submit a budget for the fiscal year 

4 for official travel by the Member of Congress and 

5 employees of the Member of Congress in accordance 

6 with paragraph (2). 

7 (2) SUBMISSION.—The budget required under 

8 paragraph (1) shall— 

9 (A) in the case of a Senator, be submitted 

10 to the Secretary of the Senate; and 

11 (B) in the case of a Member of the House 

12 of Representatives, shall be submitted to the 

13 Chief Administrative Officer of the House of 

14 Representatives. 

15 (c) RESCISSION OF UNSPENT TRAVEL FUNDS.—Ef16 fective on October 1 of each fiscal year, any amounts made 

17 available for official travel by a Member of Congress or 

18 an employee of the Member of Congress during the pre19 vious fiscal year that are not obligated shall be rescinded 

20 and used for deficit reduction. 

Æ 


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