I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9031 
To decrease the pay of Members of Congress during any period in which 
continuing appropriations are in effect, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 
Mr. NORMAN (for himself, Mr. BIGGS, Mrs. MILLER of Illinois, and Ms. 
MACE) 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 decrease the pay of Members of Congress during any 
period in which continuing appropriations are 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 ‘‘No Pay for Congres-
sional Recklessness Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITING USE OF FUNDS FOR CERTAIN GOV-
ERNMENT ACTIVITIES WHILE CONTINUING 
APPROPRIATIONS ARE IN EFFECT. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—During the period described in 
subsection (c), no appropriated funds, including official 
funds of the House of Representatives, official funds of 
the Senate, or funds available under any Federal law, rule, 
or regulation, may be used to pay for the costs of any 
of the following: 
(1) TRAVEL
BY
MEMBERS
OF
CONGRESS.— 
Travel by a Member of Congress (except as provided 
in paragraph (1) of subsection (b)). 
(2) TRAVEL BY EXECUTIVE BRANCH EMPLOY-
EES.—Travel by an employee of an executive agency 
(except as provided in paragraph (2) of subsection 
(b)). 
(b) EXCEPTIONS.— 
(1) TRAVEL
BY
MEMBERS
TO
WASHINGTON 
METROPOLITAN
AREA.—Subsection (a) does not 
apply with respect to travel by a Member of Con-
gress to the Washington Metropolitan Area. 
(2) WAIVERS
IN
CASE
OF
EMERGENCY
OR 
THREATS TO SECURITY.—The head of an executive 
agency may waive the application of subsection (a) 
to travel by an employee of the agency if the head 
of the agency determines that travel by the employee 
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is necessary to respond to a threat to national secu-
rity, a significant law enforcement event, or a nat-
ural disaster or other similar emergency. 
(c) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—The period described in 
this subsection is the period that— 
(1) begins on the 1st day on which a continuing 
resolution is in effect; and 
(2) ends on— 
(A) the date on which appropriations and 
funds are no longer made available pursuant to 
a continuing resolution; or 
(B) if such appropriations and funds are 
no longer made available as a result of a Gov-
ernment shutdown, the later of the date such 
shutdown ends or the date on which appropria-
tions and funds are no longer made available 
pursuant to a continuing resolution after the 
date such shutdown ends. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi-
nitions apply: 
(1) The term ‘‘executive agency’’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 105 of title 5, United 
States Code, and includes the Executive Office of 
the President, the United States Postal Service, and 
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Postal Regulatory Commission, but does not include 
the Government Accountability Office. 
(2) The term ‘‘Washington Metropolitan Area’’ 
means the District of Columbia, the Counties of 
Montgomery and Prince George’s in Maryland, and 
the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon, and 
Prince William and the Cities of Alexandria and 
Falls Church in Virginia. 
SEC. 3. WITHHOLDING THE PAY OF MEMBERS OF CON-
GRESS 
WHILE 
CONTINUING 
APPROPRIA-
TIONS ARE IN EFFECT. 
(a) RULE FOR ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CON-
GRESS.— 
(1) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.—If a pay 
period occurs during the One Hundred Seventeenth 
Congress during the period described in paragraph 
(2), the payroll administrator of each House of Con-
gress shall— 
(A) deposit in an escrow account and ex-
clude from the payments otherwise required to 
be made with respect 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— 
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(i) the daily rate of pay of the Mem-
ber under section 601(a) of the Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 
4501); and 
(ii) the number of 24-hour periods 
during the pay period; and 
(B) release amounts deposited in an es-
crow account under subparagraph (A) to such 
Member of Congress only upon the expiration of 
the period described in paragraph (2). 
(2) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—The period described 
in this paragraph is the period that— 
(A) begins on the 1st day on which a con-
tinuing resolution is in effect; and 
(B) ends on the earlier of— 
(i) the date on which appropriations 
and funds are no longer made available 
pursuant to a continuing resolution; 
(ii) if such appropriations and funds 
are no longer made available as a result of 
a Government shutdown, the later of the 
date such shutdown ends or the date on 
which appropriations and funds are no 
longer made available pursuant to a con-
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tinuing resolution after the date such shut-
down ends; or 
(iii) the last day of the One Hundred 
Seventeenth Congress. 
(3) 
WITHHOLDING
AND
REMITTANCE
OF 
AMOUNTS FROM PAYMENTS HELD IN ESCROW.—The 
payroll administrator of each House of Congress 
shall provide for the same withholding and remit-
tance with respect to a payment deposited in an es-
crow account under paragraph (1) that would apply 
to the payment if the payment were not subject to 
paragraph (1). 
(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-
ment 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 Seven-
teenth Congress. 
(b) SUBSEQUENT CONGRESSES.— 
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(1) WITHHOLDING SALARIES.—If a pay period 
occurs during the One Hundred Eighteenth Con-
gress or any succeeding Congress during the period 
described in paragraph (2), 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 a decrease of 1 per-
cent of the annual rate of basic pay for the Member 
under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganiza-
tion Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) for each day dur-
ing the pay period on which a continuing resolution 
is in effect. 
(2) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—The period described 
in this paragraph is the period that— 
(A) begins on the 1st day on which a con-
tinuing resolution is in effect; and 
(B) ends on— 
(i) the date on which appropriations 
and funds are no longer made available 
pursuant to a continuing resolution; or 
(ii) if such appropriations and funds 
are no longer made available as a result of 
a Government shutdown, the later of the 
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date such shutdown ends or the date on 
which appropriations and funds are no 
longer made available pursuant to a con-
tinuing resolution after the date such shut-
down ends. 
(c) ROLE OF SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.—The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll admin-
istrator of each House of Congress with such assistance 
as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrator 
to carry out this section. 
(d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘payroll 
administrator’’, with respect to a House of Congress, 
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. 
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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 
appropriations for any Federal agency or department as 
a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill 
or continuing resolution. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘continuing resolution’’ means, 
with respect to a fiscal year for which an appropria-
tion measure for the fiscal year is not enacted before 
the beginning of such fiscal year, a bill or joint reso-
lution making continuing appropriations for any pro-
gram, project, or activity for which funds were pro-
vided in the preceding fiscal year in the amount pro-
vided in the corresponding appropriation Act for 
such preceding fiscal year or, if the corresponding 
appropriation bill for such preceding fiscal year did 
not become law, the amount provided in a bill or 
joint resolution making continuing appropriations 
for such preceding fiscal year; and 
(2) the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a 
Senator or a Representative in, or Delegate or Resi-
dent Commissioner to, the Congress. 
Æ 
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