I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5993 
To prohibit the use of funds provided for the official travel expenses of 
Members of Congress and other officers and employees of the legislative 
branch for airline accommodations which are not coach-class accommoda-
tions, to prohibit the use of official funds for long-term vehicle leases 
for Members of Congress, to prohibit the use of the Members’ Represen-
tational Allowance for expenses of official mail of any material other 
than a document transmitted under the official letterhead of the Member 
involved, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 
Mr. ASHFORD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined 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 use of funds provided for the official travel 
expenses of Members of Congress and other officers and 
employees of the legislative branch for airline accom-
modations which are not coach-class accommodations, 
to prohibit the use of official funds for long-term vehicle 
leases for Members of Congress, to prohibit the use 
of the Members’ Representational Allowance for expenses 
of official mail of any material other than a document 
transmitted under the official letterhead of the Member 
involved, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Congressional Ac-
countability Now Act’’ or the ‘‘CAN Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITING USE OF FUNDS FOR OFFICIAL TRAV-
EL EXPENSES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 
AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCH EMPLOYEES FOR 
AIRLINE ACCOMMODATIONS OTHER THAN 
COACH-CLASS. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—Except as provided in subsection 
(b), no funds appropriated or otherwise made available for 
the official travel expenses of a Member of Congress or 
other officer or employee of any office in the legislative 
branch may be used for airline accommodations which are 
not coach-class accommodations. 
(b) EXCEPTIONS.—Funds described in subsection (a) 
may be used for airline accommodations which are not 
coach-class accommodations for an individual described in 
subsection (a) if the use of the funds for such accommoda-
tions would be permitted under sections 301–10.121 
through 301–10.125 of title 41 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations if the individual were an employee of an agen-
cy which is subject to chapter 301 of such title. 
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(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed to affect any officer or employee 
of an office of the legislative branch which, as of the date 
of the enactment of this Act, is subject to chapter 301 
of title 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.— 
(1) COACH-CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘coach-class accommodations’’ 
means the basic class of accommodation by airlines 
that is normally the lowest fare offered regardless of 
airline terminology used, and (as referred to by air-
lines) may include tourist class or economy class, as 
well as single class when the airline offers only one 
class of accommodations to all travelers. 
(2) MEMBER OF CONGRESS.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a Senator or 
a Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Com-
missioner to, the Congress. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITING USE OF FUNDS FOR LONG-TERM VE-
HICLE LEASES BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—No funds appropriated or other-
wise made available during a fiscal year for the operations 
of a House of Congress, including the official and rep-
resentational expenses of a Member of Congress or the 
expenses of a committee or leadership office of a House 
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of Congress, may be used for the long-term leasing of a 
vehicle. 
(b) MEMBER OF CONGRESS DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a Senator 
or a Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commis-
sioner to, the Congress. 
SEC. 4. RESTRICTING USE OF FRANK BY MEMBERS OF THE 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 
Section 311(e) of the Legislative Branch Appropria-
tions Act, 1991 (2 U.S.C. 503(e)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) Funds of the House of Representatives may not 
be used for official mail of a Member of the House of Rep-
resentatives for any material other than a document trans-
mitted under the official letterhead used for the Member’s 
stationery.’’. 
SEC. 5. REDUCTION IN PAY AND ELIMINATION OF AUTO-
MATIC PAY INCREASES FOR MEMBERS OF 
CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 601(a) of the Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 601. (a) Effective as of the beginning of the 
first applicable pay period commencing after the date of 
the first regularly scheduled general election for Federal 
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office which is held after the date of the enactment of the 
Congressional Accountability Now Act, the annual rate of 
pay for— 
‘‘(1) each Senator, Member of the House of 
Representatives, and Delegate to the House of Rep-
resentatives, and the Resident Commissioner from 
Puerto Rico, 
‘‘(2) the President pro tempore of the Senate, 
the majority leader and the minority leader of the 
Senate, and the majority leader and the minority 
leader of the House of Representatives, and 
‘‘(3) the Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives, 
shall be equal to the annual rate of pay for that position 
as of the date on which such general election is held, re-
duced by 10 percent.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (a) shall take ef-
fect on the date of the first regularly scheduled general 
election for Federal office which is held after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF CERTAIN RETIREMENT BENEFITS 
FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. 
(a) AMENDMENTS RELATING TO THE CIVIL SERVICE 
RETIREMENT SYSTEM.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 
83 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by in-
serting after section 8335 the following: 
‘‘§ 8335a. Termination of further retirement coverage 
of Members of Congress 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro-
vision of this subchapter and subject to subsection (f), ef-
fective as of the date of enactment of this section— 
‘‘(1) a Member shall not be subject to this sub-
chapter for any further period of time; and 
‘‘(2) no further Government contributions or 
deductions from basic pay may be made with respect 
to such Member for deposit in the Treasury of the 
United States to the credit of the Fund. 
‘‘(b) PRIOR RIGHTS NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in 
subsection (a) shall be considered to nullify, modify, or 
otherwise affect any right, entitlement, or benefit under 
this subchapter with respect to any Member covering any 
period prior to the date of enactment of this section. 
‘‘(c) RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THRIFT SAVINGS 
PLAN NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in subsection (a) shall 
affect the eligibility of a Member to participate in the 
Thrift Savings Plan in accordance with otherwise applica-
ble provisions of law. 
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