I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1813

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

in a manner that reflects the degree of success of efforts to reduce

the Federal deficit without raising taxes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 22, 1993

Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland (for himself, Mr. DELAY, and Mr. COX) introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on

Post Office and Civil Service and House Administration

A BILL

To provide that rates of basic pay for Members of Congress

be adjusted in a manner that reflects the degree of

success of efforts to reduce the Federal deficit without

raising taxes.

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 the purpose of this Act—
2

•HR 1813 IH

1 (1) the term ‘‘Federal deficit’’ or ‘‘deficit’’

2 means, with respect to any fiscal year, the amount

3 by which total budget outlays of the Government for

4 such fiscal year exceed total revenues of the Govern5 ment for such fiscal year;

6 (2) the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means an

7 individual serving in a position referred to in section

8 601(a)(1) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of

9 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31(1)); and

10 (3) the term ‘‘year’’ means a calendar year.

11 SEC. 3. TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF USUAL PAY ADJUST12 MENT PROCEDURES.

13 Subject to section 5, rates of basic pay for Members

14 of Congress shall not be adjusted except in accordance

15 with section 4.

16 SEC. 4. TEMPORARY ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES.

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Effective as of the first day of the

18 first applicable pay period beginning on or after January

19 1st of each year, the rate of basic pay for each Member

20 of Congress shall be reduced by the percentage derived

21 by multiplying the applicable factor under subsection (b)

22 for such year by the applicable factor under subsection

23 (c) for such year.

24 (b) FACTOR REFLECTING MAGNITUDE OF THE DEFI25 CIT.—The applicable factor under this subsection for any
3

•HR 1813 IH

1 year is the number of hundreds of billions of dollars to

2 which the Federal deficit is equal, as determined under

3 subsection (d) with respect to such year.

4 (c) FACTOR REFLECTING DEGREE OF SUCCESS IN

5 REDUCING OR ELIMINATING THE DEFICIT.—The applica6 ble factor under this subsection for any year shall be de7 termined in accordance with the following:

8 (1) For the first year beginning on or after the

9 effective date of this Act, the applicable factor under

10 this subsection is 2 percent.

11 (2) For each year thereafter, the applicable fac12 tor under this subsection is—

13 (A) the same percentage as was applicable

14 under this subsection in the previous year, if

15 the deficit for the year in question is at least

16 $100,000,000,000 less than—

17 (i) the size of the deficit for the year

18 referred to in paragraph (1), or

19 (ii) the lowest level attained in the

20 deficit for any year after the year referred

21 to in paragraph (1),

22 whichever is less; or

23 (B) 2 times the percentage which was ap24 plicable under this subsection in the previous

25 year, if subparagraph (A) does not apply.
4

•HR 1813 IH

1 (d) DETERMINING THE SIZE OF THE DEFICIT.—For

2 the purpose of any determination under this Act, the size

3 or level of the Federal deficit for any year—

4 (1) shall be equal to the size or level of the defi5 cit for the fiscal year ending on the September 30th

6 immediately preceding the start of such year; and

7 (2) shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of

8 $100,000,000,000 (or, if midway between multiples

9 of $100,000,000,000, to the next higher multiple of

10 $100,000,000,000).

11 (e) LIMITATION.—Nothing in this Act shall have the

12 effect of reducing any rate of basic pay below $1.

13 (f) SUSPENSION IN TIME OF WAR.—

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2),

15 upon the enactment of a declaration of war—

16 (A) subsections (a) through (d) shall be

17 suspended; and

18 (B) any subsequent reduction in rates of

19 basic pay for Members of Congress under such

20 subsections shall be precluded.

21 (2) RESTORATION.—In the event of a suspen22 sion of subsections (a) through (d) due to a declara23 tion of war, then, effective with the first year that

24 begins in the session after the state of war is con-
5

•HR 1813 IH

1 cluded by Senate ratification of the necessary trea2 ties—

3 (A) the provisions of subsections (a)

4 through (d) shall be restored to full force and

5 effect, and any adjustment scheduled to take ef6 fect on or after the first day of such year shall

7 be implemented in accordance with such provi8 sions; and

9 (B) the initial rate of basic pay for a Mem10 ber of Congress (before the implementation of

11 any adjustment referred to in subparagraph

12 (A)) shall be equal to the rate of basic pay in

13 effect for such a Member as of the day before

14 the effective date of this Act.

15 SEC. 5. EFFECT OF ELIMINATING THE DEFICIT.

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Effective as of the first day of the

17 first applicable pay period beginning on or after January

18 1st of the first year with respect to which the deficit is

19 determined to have been eliminated—

20 (1) the provisions of law suspended by section

21 2 (disregarding subsection (f) thereof) shall be re22 stored to full force and effect, and any adjustment

23 scheduled to take effect on or after such first day

24 under such provisions shall be implemented in ac25 cordance with such provisions;
6

•HR 1813 IH

1 (2) the initial rate of basic pay for a Member

2 of Congress (before the implementation of any ad3 justment referred to in paragraph (1)) shall be equal

4 to 2 times the rate of basic pay in effect for such

5 a Member as of the effective date of this Act.

6 (3) the provisions of section 4 shall cease to be

7 effective.

8 (b) RULE RELATING TO DETERMINING WHEN THE

9 DEFICIT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.—

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of this Act,

11 the deficit shall be considered to have been elimi12 nated as of the start of the first year for which the

13 applicable factor under section 4(b) would be less

14 than 1.

15 (2) NO TAX INCREASE.—The condition under

16 paragraph (1) shall be considered unmet if there is

17 enacted, after the effective date of this Act, any leg18 islation that reduces the Federal deficit by changing

19 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

20 SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—This Act shall take effect on Jan22 uary 1st of the first year beginning after the first election

23 of Representatives following the date of the enactment of

24 this Act.
7

•HR 1813 IH

1 (b) DEFINITION.—For the purpose of subsection (a),

2 the term ‘‘election of Representatives’’ has the meaning

3 given such term by 225(i)(4)(B) of the Federal Salary Act

4 of 1967 (2 U.S.C. 359(4)(B)).

Æ