I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2977 
To reduce a portion of the annual pay of Members of Congress for the 
failure to adopt a concurrent resolution on the budget which does not 
provide for a balanced budget, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 21, 2017 
Mr. GIANFORTE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on 
Oversight and Government Reform, and Rules, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reduce a portion of the annual pay of Members of Con-
gress for the failure to adopt a concurrent resolution 
on the budget which does not provide for a balanced 
budget, 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; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Balanced Budget Accountability Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(1) 
The 
Federal 
debt 
exceeds 
$19,000,000,000,000, continues to grow rapidly, and 
is larger than the size of the United States economy. 
(2) The Federal budget has shown an annual 
deficit in 47 of the last 52 years. 
(3) Deficits and the Federal debt threaten to 
shatter confidence in the Nation’s economy, suppress 
job creation and economic growth, and leave future 
generations of Americans with a lower standard of 
living and fewer opportunities. 
(4) It is the duty of Members of Congress to 
develop and implement policies, including balancing 
the Federal budget, that encourage robust job cre-
ation and economic growth in the United States. 
(5) Members of Congress should be held ac-
countable for failing to pass annual budgets that re-
sult in a balanced budget. 
SEC. 2. EFFECT OF FAILURE TO ADOPT RESOLUTION PRO-
VIDING FOR BALANCED BUDGETS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘balanced budget’’ means a con-
current resolution on the budget which provides that 
for fiscal year 2027, and each fiscal year thereafter 
to which the concurrent resolution on the budget ap-
plies— 
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(A) total outlays do not exceed total re-
ceipts; and 
(B) total outlays are not more than 18 
percent of the gross domestic product of the 
United States (as determined by the Bureau of 
Economic Analysis of the Department of Com-
merce) for such fiscal year; 
(2) the term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of 
the Office of Management and Budget; and 
(3) the term ‘‘Member’’ includes a Delegate or 
Resident Commissioner to Congress. 
(b) DETERMINATION BY THE OFFICE OF MANAGE-
MENT AND BUDGET.—Upon adoption by a House of Con-
gress of a concurrent resolution on the budget for a fiscal 
year, the Director shall— 
(1) determine whether the concurrent resolution 
on the budget is a balanced budget; and 
(2) submit to the Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives or the President pro tempore of the 
Senate (as the case may be) a certification as to 
whether or not that House of Congress has adopted 
a balanced budget. 
(c) RULE FOR FISCAL YEARS 2018 AND 2019.— 
(1) FISCAL YEAR 2018.— 
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(A) HOLDING
SALARIES
IN
ESCROW.—If 
the Director does not certify that a House of 
Congress has adopted a balanced budget with 
respect to fiscal year 2018 before July 28, 
2017, during the period described in subpara-
graph (B) the payroll administrator of that 
House of Congress shall deposit in an escrow 
account all payments otherwise required to be 
made during such period for the compensation 
of Members of Congress who serve in that 
House of Congress, and shall release such pay-
ments to such Members only upon the expira-
tion of such period. 
(B) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—With respect to 
a House of Congress, the period described in 
this subparagraph is the period that begins on 
April 16, 2017, and ends on the earlier of— 
(i) the date on which the Director cer-
tifies that the House of Congress has 
adopted a balanced budget with respect to 
fiscal year 2018; or 
(ii) the last day of the One Hundred 
Fifteenth Congress. 
(2) FISCAL YEAR 2019.— 
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(A) HOLDING
SALARIES
IN
ESCROW.—If 
the Director does not certify that a House of 
Congress has adopted a balanced budget with 
respect to fiscal year 2019 before April 16, 
2018, during the period described in subpara-
graph (B) the payroll administrator of that 
House of Congress shall deposit in an escrow 
account all payments otherwise required to be 
made during such period for the compensation 
of Members of Congress who serve in that 
House of Congress, and shall release such pay-
ments to such Members only upon the expira-
tion of such period. 
(B) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—With respect to 
a House of Congress, the period described in 
this subparagraph is the period that begins on 
April 16, 2018, and ends on the earlier of— 
(i) the date on which the Director cer-
tifies that the House of Congress has 
adopted a balanced budget with respect to 
fiscal year 2019; or 
(ii) the last day of the One Hundred 
Fifteenth Congress. 
(3) 
WITHHOLDING
AND
REMITTANCE
OF 
AMOUNTS FROM PAYMENTS HELD IN ESCROW.—The 
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payroll administrator shall provide for the same 
withholding and remittance with respect to a pay-
ment deposited in an escrow account under para-
graph (1) or (2) that would apply to the payment if 
the payment were not subject to paragraph (1) or 
(2). 
(4) RELEASE OF AMOUNTS AT END OF THE 
CONGRESS.—In order to ensure that this subsection 
is carried out in a manner that shall not vary the 
compensation of Senators or Representatives in vio-
lation of the twenty-seventh amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States, the payroll adminis-
trator of a House of Congress shall release for pay-
ments 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 Fif-
teenth Congress. 
(5) ROLE OF SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.— 
The Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the pay-
roll administrators of the Houses of Congress with 
such assistance as may be necessary to enable the 
payroll administrators to carry out this subsection. 
(6) PAYROLL
ADMINISTRATOR
DEFINED.—In 
this subsection, the ‘‘payroll administrator’’ of a 
House of Congress means— 
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(A) in the case of the House of Represent-
atives, 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 
(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. 
(d) RULE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 AND SUBSEQUENT 
FISCAL YEARS.— 
(1) REDUCTION IN PAY.—If the Director does 
not certify that a House of Congress has adopted a 
balanced budget with respect to fiscal year 2020, or 
any fiscal year thereafter, before April 16 of the fis-
cal year before such fiscal year, during pay periods 
which occur during the period described in para-
graph (2) each Member of that House shall be paid 
at an annual rate of pay equal to $1. 
(2) PERIOD
DESCRIBED.—With respect to a 
House of Congress and a fiscal year, the period de-
scribed in this subparagraph is the period that be-
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gins on April 16 of the fiscal year before such fiscal 
year and ends on the earlier of— 
(A) the date on which the Director certifies 
that the House of Congress has adopted a bal-
anced budget with respect to such fiscal year; 
or 
(B) the last day of the same calendar year 
in which such period begins. 
SEC. 3. SUPERMAJORITY REQUIREMENT FOR INCREASING 
REVENUE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In the Senate and the House of 
Representatives, a bill, joint resolution, amendment, con-
ference report, or amendment between the Houses that in-
creases revenue shall only be agreed to upon an affirma-
tive vote of three-fifths of the Members of that House of 
Congress duly chosen and sworn. 
(b) RULES OF SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REP-
RESENTATIVES.—Subsection (a) is enacted by Congress— 
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 
the Senate and House of Representatives, respec-
tively, and as such it is deemed a part of the rules 
of each House, respectively, but applicable only with 
respect to the procedure to be followed in that 
House in the case of a bill, joint resolution, amend-
ment, conference report, or amendment between the 
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Houses that increases revenue, and it supersedes 
other rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent 
with such rules; and 
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional 
right of either House to change the rules (so far as 
relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 
in the same manner, and to the same extent as in 
the case of any other rule of that House. 
Æ 
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