I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3565 
To reduce the salaries of Members of Congress if a Federal budget deficit 
exists, prohibit commodities and securities trading based on non-public 
information relating to Congress, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 6, 2011 
Mr. FLORES 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, Agriculture, Rules, and Financial 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reduce the salaries of Members of Congress if a Federal 
budget deficit exists, prohibit commodities and securities 
trading based on non-public information relating to Con-
gress, 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 ‘‘Reconnecting Congress 
with America Act of 2011’’. 
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SEC. 2. REDUCTION IN SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF CON-
GRESS IN RESPONSE TO FEDERAL BUDGET 
DEFICIT. 
(a) DETERMINATION
OF SALARIES.—The annual 
rate of pay for a Member of Congress (including a Dele-
gate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress) for pay 
periods occurring in a calendar year shall be equal to the 
following: 
(1) If, with respect to the most recent fiscal 
year ending before that calendar year, the Federal 
deficit was equal to or greater than 3 percent of the 
gross domestic product, 80% of the base rate appli-
cable to the Member. 
(2) If, with respect to the most recent fiscal 
year ending before that calendar year, the Federal 
deficit was less than 3 percent of the gross domestic 
product, 90% of the base rate applicable to the 
Member. 
(3) If, with respect to the most recent fiscal 
year ending before that calendar year, there was no 
Federal deficit, 100% of the base rate applicable to 
the Member. 
(b) FEDERAL DEFICIT.— 
(1) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, 
the term ‘‘Federal deficit’’ means, with respect to a 
fiscal year, the amount by which outlays of the Fed-
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eral Government exceeded receipts of the Govern-
ment for that fiscal year. 
(2) REPORT
BY
SECRETARY
OF
THE
TREAS-
URY.—Not later than 30 days after the end of each 
fiscal year (beginning with fiscal year 2011), the 
Secretary of the Treasury shall— 
(A) make a determination of the gross do-
mestic product for that fiscal year; 
(B) make a determination of whether a 
Federal deficit existed with respect to that fis-
cal year, and, if so, the amount of such Federal 
deficit; and 
(C) submit a report of such determinations 
to Congress. 
(c) BASE RATE.—For purposes of this section, the 
‘‘base rate’’ applicable to a Member of Congress means— 
(1) in the case of the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, $223,500; 
(2) in the case of 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, 
$193,400; and 
(3) in the case of any other Member of Con-
gress, $174,000. 
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