I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 211 
To reduce the annual rate of pay of Members of Congress if a Government 
shutdown occurs during a year, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2019 
Mr. SCHRADER (for himself, Mr. COOPER, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. 
MOULTON, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. CORREA, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. WELCH, 
Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. COSTA, Ms. SPANBERGER, and Mr. ROSE of New 
York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight 
and Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reduce the annual rate of pay of Members of Congress 
if a Government shutdown occurs during a year, 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 ‘‘Hold Congress Ac-
countable Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REQUIRING REDUCTION OF PAY OF MEMBERS OF 
CONGRESS IF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN OC-
CURS. 
(a) REDUCTION OF PAY FOR EACH DAY OF GOVERN-
MENT SHUTDOWN.—If on any day during a year a Gov-
ernment shutdown is in effect, the annual rate of pay ap-
plicable under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorga-
nization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) with respect to each 
Member of Congress for the year shall be reduced by an 
amount equal to the product of— 
(1) an amount equal to one day’s worth of pay 
under such annual rate; and 
(2) the number of 24-hour periods during which 
the Government shutdown is in effect. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 
respect to days occurring after the date of the regularly 
scheduled general election for Federal office held in No-
vember 2020. 
SEC. 3. SPECIAL RULE FOR ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH 
CONGRESS. 
(a) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.—If on any day 
during the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress a Govern-
ment shutdown is in effect, the payroll administrator of 
that House of Congress shall— 
(1) withhold from the payments otherwise re-
quired to be made with respect to a pay period for 
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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. 
4501); and 
(B) the number of 24-hour periods during 
which the Government shutdown is in effect 
which occur during the pay period; and 
(2) deposit in an escrow account all amounts 
withheld under paragraph (1). 
(b) RELEASE OF AMOUNTS AT END OF THE CON-
GRESS.—In order to ensure that this section is carried out 
in a manner that shall not vary the compensation of Sen-
ators or Representatives in violation of the twenty-seventh 
article of amendment to the Constitution of the United 
States, the payroll administrator of a House of Congress 
shall release for payments to Members of that House of 
Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow account 
under this section on the last day of the One Hundred 
Sixteenth Congress. 
(c) ROLE OF SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.—The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll admin-
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istrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance 
as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrators 
to carry out this section. 
(d) PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR DEFINED.—In this 
section, the ‘‘payroll administrator’’ of a House of Con-
gress means— 
(1) in the case of the House of Representatives, 
the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of 
Representatives, or an employee of the Office of the 
Chief Administrative Officer who is designated by 
the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out this 
section; and 
(2) in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of 
the Senate, or an employee of the Office of the Sec-
retary of the Senate who is designated by the Sec-
retary to carry out this section. 
(e) EXCEPTION FOR DAYS OCCURRING AFTER GEN-
ERAL ELECTION.—This section does not apply with re-
spect to any day during the One Hundred Sixteenth Con-
gress which occurs after the date of the regularly sched-
uled general election for Federal office held in November 
2020. 
SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. 
For purposes of this Act, a Government shutdown 
shall be considered to be in effect if there is a lapse in 
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appropriations for any Federal agency or department as 
a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill 
or continuing resolution. 
SEC. 5. MEMBER OF CONGRESS DEFINED. 
In this Act, 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 Reor-
ganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501). 
Æ 
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