I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 845 
To prohibit the payment of a salary to Members of Congress, the President, 
and the Vice President during periods during which a Government shut-
down is in effect, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 29, 2019 
Mr. GOLDEN (for himself, Mr. ROSE of New York, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. COO-
PER, Ms. PINGREE, and Mr. COX of California) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and 
in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To prohibit the payment of a salary to Members of Congress, 
the President, and the Vice President during periods 
during 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 ‘‘Solidarity in Salary 
Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITING PAYING SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF 
CONGRESS 
DURING 
GOVERNMENT 
SHUT-
DOWNS. 
(a) RULE FOR ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CON-
GRESS.— 
(1) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.—If on any 
day during a pay period occurring during the One 
Hundred Sixteenth Congress a Government shut-
down is in effect, the payroll administrator of each 
House of Congress 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— 
(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 during which the 
Government shutdown is in effect; and 
(B) release amounts deposited in an es-
crow account under subparagraph (A) to such 
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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 first day on which the 
applicable Government shutdown is in effect; 
and 
(B) ends on the earlier of— 
(i) the date on which the applicable 
Government shutdown is no longer in ef-
fect; or 
(ii) the last day of the One Hundred 
Sixteenth 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-
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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 Six-
teenth Congress. 
(b) SUBSEQUENT CONGRESSES.—On and after the 
first day of the One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, 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 re-
quired 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— 
(1) the daily rate of pay of the Member under 
section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act 
of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501); and 
(2) the number of 24-hour periods during the 
pay period during which the Government shutdown 
is in effect. 
(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 
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as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrator 
to carry out this Act. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means an 
individual serving in a position covered under sub-
paragraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 601(a)(1) of 
the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 
U.S.C. 4501(1)); and 
(2) the term ‘‘payroll administrator’’, with re-
spect to a House of Congress, means— 
(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 Act; 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 Act. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITING PAYING SALARIES OF PRESIDENT 
AND VICE PRESIDENT DURING GOVERNMENT 
SHUTDOWNS. 
(a) HOLDING SALARIES IN ESCROW.—If on any day 
during a pay period occurring during the term of office 
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of the President or Vice President a Government shut-
down is in effect, the Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management shall— 
(1) deposit in an escrow account and exclude 
from the payments otherwise required to be made 
with respect to that pay period for the compensation 
of the President and the Vice President an amount 
equal to the product of— 
(A) the daily rate of pay of the President 
or Vice President (as the case may be) under 
applicable law; and 
(B) the number of 24-hour periods during 
the pay period during which the Government 
shutdown is in effect; and 
(2) release amounts deposited in an escrow ac-
count under paragraph (1) to the President and the 
Vice President only upon the expiration of the period 
described in subsection (b). 
(b) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—The period described in 
this subsection is the period that— 
(1) begins on the first day on which the appli-
cable Government shutdown is in effect; and 
(2) ends on the earlier of— 
(A) the date on which the applicable Gov-
ernment shutdown is no longer in effect; or 
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