I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4287 
To prohibit the pay of Members of Congress during periods in which a 
Government shutdown is in effect, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 22, 2023 
Mr. JAMES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight 
and Accountability, 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 pay of Members of Congress during periods 
in which a Government shutdown is in effect, 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 ‘‘Money Where Our 
Mouths Are Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITING PAY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN 
RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. 
(a) PROHIBITION OF PAY.—If on any day during a 
pay period a Government shutdown is in effect, the payroll 
administrator of each House of Congress shall exclude 
from the payments otherwise required to be made with re-
spect to that pay period for the compensation of each 
Member of Congress who serves in that House of Congress 
an amount equal to the product of— 
(1) an amount equal to one day’s worth of pay 
under the annual rate of pay applicable to the Mem-
ber under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorga-
nization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501); and 
(2) the number of 24-hour periods during which 
the Government shutdown is in effect which occur 
during the pay period. 
(b) 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. 
(c) 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 
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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. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 
respect to days occurring during the One Hundred Nine-
teenth Congress and each succeeding Congress. 
SEC. 3. 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 
appropriations for any Federal agency or department as 
a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill 
or continuing resolution. 
SEC. 4. 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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