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 with-
in 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pay Accountability 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. WITHHOLDING OF PAY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 
IF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS IN EFFECT 
OR PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT IS REACHED. 
(a) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.—If during any 
pay period during a Congress a Government shutdown is 
in effect or the public debt limit is reached, the payroll 
administrator of a House of Congress shall— 
(1) withhold from the payments otherwise re-
quired to be made with respect to the pay period for 
the compensation of each Member of Congress who 
serves in that House of Congress an amount equal 
to the product of— 
(A) an amount equal to one day’s worth of 
pay under the annual rate of pay applicable to 
the Member under section 601(a) of the Legis-
lative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31) 
for the pay period; and 
(B) the number of 24-hour periods during 
which the Government shutdown is in effect or 
the public debt limit is reached (as the case 
may be) which occur during the pay period; and 
(2) deposit in an escrow account all amounts 
withheld under paragraph (1). 
(b) TRANSFER TO SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY AT 
END OF THE CONGRESS.— 
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(1) TRANSFER.—The payroll administrator of a 
House of Congress shall transfer to the Secretary of 
the Treasury any amounts remaining in any escrow 
account under this section on the last day of the 
Congress involved. 
(2) REQUIRING
AMOUNTS
TO
BE
USED
FOR 
DEFICIT REDUCTION.—Any amounts transferred to 
the Secretary of the Treasury under paragraph (1) 
shall be deposited in the Treasury and used for def-
icit reduction. 
(c) ROLE OF SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.—The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll admin-
istrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance 
as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrators 
to carry out this section. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means an 
individual serving in a position under subparagraph 
(A), (B), or (C) of section 601(a) of the Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31); and 
(2) the ‘‘payroll administrator’’ of a House of 
Congress means— 
(A) in the case of the House of Represent-
atives, the Chief Administrative Officer of the 
House of Representatives, or an employee of 
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the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer 
who is designated by the Chief Administrative 
Officer to carry out this section; and 
(B) in the case of the Senate, the Sec-
retary of the Senate, or an employee of the Of-
fice of the Secretary of the Senate who is des-
ignated by the Secretary to carry out this sec-
tion. 
SEC. 3. WITHHOLDING OF PAY OF PRESIDENT AND VICE 
PRESIDENT IF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN OC-
CURS OR PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT IS REACHED. 
(a) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.—If during any 
pay period during a President’s or Vice President’s term 
of office a Government shutdown is in effect or the public 
debt limit is reached, the White House Office shall— 
(1) withhold from the payments otherwise re-
quired to be made with respect to the pay period for 
the compensation of the President or the Vice Presi-
dent an amount equal to the product of— 
(A) an amount equal to one day’s worth of 
pay under the annual rate of compensation of 
the President under 102 of title 3, United 
States Code, or the annual rate of salary of the 
Vice President under section 104 of title 3, 
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United States Code (as the case may be), for 
the pay period; and 
(B) the number of 24-hour periods during 
which the Government shutdown is in effect or 
the public debt limit is reached (as the case 
may be) which occur during the pay period; and 
(2) deposit in an escrow account all amounts 
withheld under paragraph (1). 
(b) ROLE OF SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.—The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the White House 
Office with such assistance as may be necessary to enable 
the White House Office to carry out this section. 
(c) TRANSFER TO SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY AT 
END OF TERM OF OFFICE.— 
(1) TRANSFER.—The White House Office shall 
transfer to the Secretary of the Treasury any 
amounts remaining in any escrow account under this 
section on the last day of the President’s or Vice 
President’s term of office involved. 
(2) REQUIRING
AMOUNTS
TO
BE
USED
FOR 
DEFICIT REDUCTION.—Any amounts transferred to 
the Secretary of the Treasury under paragraph (1) 
shall be deposited in the Treasury and used for def-
icit reduction. 
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SEC. 4. DETERMINATIONS. 
(a) GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.—For purposes of this 
Act, a Government shutdown shall be considered to be in 
effect if there is a lapse in appropriations for any Federal 
agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a 
regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution. 
(b) PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT.—For purposes of this Act, 
the public debt limit shall be considered to be reached if 
the Federal Government is unable to make payments or 
meet obligations because the public debt limit under sec-
tion 3101 of title 31, United States Code, has been 
reached. 
Æ 
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