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) intro-
duced 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.
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 Pay for
Performance Act’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
For the purpose of this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘Federal deficit’’ or ‘‘deficit’’
means, with respect to any fiscal year, the amount
by which total budget outlays of the Government for
such fiscal year exceed total revenues of the Govern-
ment for such fiscal year;
(2) the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means an
individual serving in a position referred to in section
601(a)(1) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of
1946 (2 U.S.C. 31(1)); and
(3) the term ‘‘year’’ means a calendar year.
SEC. 3. TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF USUAL PAY ADJUST-
MENT PROCEDURES.
Subject to section 5, rates of basic pay for Members
of Congress shall not be adjusted except in accordance
with section 4.
SEC. 4. TEMPORARY ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Effective as of the first day of the
first applicable pay period beginning on or after January
1st of each year, the rate of basic pay for each Member
of Congress shall be reduced by the percentage derived
by multiplying the applicable factor under subsection (b)
for such year by the applicable factor under subsection
(c) for such year.
(b) FACTOR REFLECTING MAGNITUDE OF THE DEFI-
CIT.—The applicable factor under this subsection for any
(d) DETERMINING THE SIZE OF THE DEFICIT.—For
the purpose of any determination under this Act, the size
or level of the Federal deficit for any year—
(1) shall be equal to the size or level of the defi-
cit for the fiscal year ending on the September 30th
immediately preceding the start of such year; and
(2) shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of
$100,000,000,000 (or, if midway between multiples
of $100,000,000,000, to the next higher multiple of
$100,000,000,000).
(e) LIMITATION.—Nothing in this Act shall have the
effect of reducing any rate of basic pay below $1.
(f) SUSPENSION IN TIME OF WAR.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2),
upon the enactment of a declaration of war—
(A) subsections (a) through (d) shall be
suspended; and
(B) any subsequent reduction in rates of
basic pay for Members of Congress under such
subsections shall be precluded.
(2) RESTORATION.—In the event of a suspen-
sion of subsections (a) through (d) due to a declara-
tion of war, then, effective with the first year that
begins in the session after the state of war is con-
cluded by Senate ratification of the necessary trea-
ties—
(A) the provisions of subsections (a)
through (d) shall be restored to full force and
effect, and any adjustment scheduled to take ef-
fect on or after the first day of such year shall
be implemented in accordance with such provi-
sions; and
(B) the initial rate of basic pay for a Mem-
ber of Congress (before the implementation of
any adjustment referred to in subparagraph
(A)) shall be equal to the rate of basic pay in
effect for such a Member as of the day before
the effective date of this Act.
SEC. 5. EFFECT OF ELIMINATING THE DEFICIT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Effective as of the first day of the
first applicable pay period beginning on or after January
1st of the first year with respect to which the deficit is
determined to have been eliminated—
(1) the provisions of law suspended by section
2 (disregarding subsection (f) thereof) shall be re-
stored to full force and effect, and any adjustment
scheduled to take effect on or after such first day
under such provisions shall be implemented in ac-
cordance with such provisions;
(2) the initial rate of basic pay for a Member
of Congress (before the implementation of any ad-
justment referred to in paragraph (1)) shall be equal
to 2 times the rate of basic pay in effect for such
a Member as of the effective date of this Act.
(3) the provisions of section 4 shall cease to be
effective.
(b) RULE RELATING TO DETERMINING WHEN THE
DEFICIT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of this Act,
the deficit shall be considered to have been elimi-
nated as of the start of the first year for which the
applicable factor under section 4(b) would be less
than 1.
(2) NO TAX INCREASE.—The condition under
paragraph (1) shall be considered unmet if there is
enacted, after the effective date of this Act, any leg-
islation that reduces the Federal deficit by changing
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—This Act shall take effect on Jan-
uary 1st of the first year beginning after the first election
of Representatives following the date of the enactment of
this Act.
(b) DEFINITION.—For the purpose of subsection (a),
the term ‘‘election of Representatives’’ has the meaning
given such term by 225(i)(4)(B) of the Federal Salary Act
of 1967 (2 U.S.C. 359(4)(B)).
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