I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2771
To provide that rates of basic pay for Members of Congress be determined
as a function of efforts to eliminate the Federal deficit.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DECEMBER 13, 1995
Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland (for himself, Mr. SALMON, Mr. WAMP, Mr.
HOKE, Mrs. SMITH of Washington, Mr. DAVIS, Mrs. CHENOWETH, Mr.
METCALF, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr.
ALLARD, Mr. DREIER, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. ENGLISH of Penn-
sylvania, Mr. CHRYSLER, Mr. STOCKMAN, Mr. DORNAN, Mr. EHRLICH,
Mr. COBURN and Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Oversight
A BILL
To provide that rates of basic pay for Members of Congress
be determined as a function of efforts to eliminate the
Federal deficit.
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 purposes of this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘Federal deficit’’ has the meaning
given the term deficit by section 3(6) of the Con-
gressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 622(6));
(2) the term ‘‘deficit target’’, as used with re-
spect to a fiscal year, means the maximum allowable
Federal deficit for such fiscal year, as set forth in
the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal
year 1996;
(3) the term ‘‘concurrent resolution on the
budget’’ has the meaning given such term by section
3(4) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2
U.S.C. 622(4)); and
(4) the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means an
individual who holds a position referred to in section
601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of
1946 (2 U.S.C. 31), as amended by section 4.
SEC. 3. PAY AS A FUNCTION OF EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE
THE FEDERAL DEFICIT.
(a) IF DEFICIT TARGETS ARE NOT MET.—
(1) INTERIM TARGETS.—If, for any of fiscal
years 1996 through 2001, inclusive, the Federal def-
icit for such fiscal year exceeds the deficit target for
such fiscal year by more than $1 billion, then, effec-
tive as of the first day of the first applicable pay pe-
riod of the first calendar year beginning after the
end of such fiscal year, the rate of basic pay for
each Member of Congress shall be equal to the rate
in effect on the day before the date of the adjust-
ment under this paragraph, reduced by the percent-
age derived by multiplying 0.5 percent by the num-
ber of billions of dollars (after rounding to the next
lower multiple of $1 billion) by which such target
was so exceeded, except that nothing in this para-
graph shall cause any rate to be reduced below zero.
(2) FINAL TARGET.—If the Federal deficit for
fiscal year 2002 is $1 billion or greater, then, effec-
tive as of the first day of the first applicable pay pe-
riod in calendar year 2003, the rate of basic pay for
each Member of Congress shall be zero.
(b) IF DEFICIT TARGETS ARE MET.—
(1) OTHER THAN BY ELIMINATING THE DEFI-
CIT.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), if, for
any of fiscal years 1996 through 2001, inclusive, the
Federal deficit for such year is less than, or within
$1 billion of, the deficit target for such fiscal year,
then no change shall be made in the rate of basic
pay for any Member of Congress based on the size
of the Federal deficit for such year.
(2) BY ELIMINATING THE DEFICIT.—If, for any
of fiscal years 1996 through 2002, inclusive, the
Federal deficit for such year is less than $1 billion,
then, effective as of the first day of the first applica-
ble pay period of the first calendar year beginning
after the end of such fiscal year—
(A) the rate of basic pay for each Member
of Congress shall be restored to the rate in ef-
fect as of December 31, 1995; and
(B) this section shall cease to be effective.
(c) DETERMINING THE SIZE OF THE DEFICIT.—For
purposes of this section, the size of the Federal deficit for
any fiscal year shall be as determined by the Congressional
Budget Office (in writing)—
(1) on the basis of the Final Monthly Treasury
Statement of Receipts and Outlays of the United
States Government, published by the Department of
the Treasury; and
(2) excluding any increase in tax revenues, at-
tributable to the fiscal year involved, which occurs
by reason of any provision of law enacted after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(d) EXCEPTION.—The rate of basic pay for an indi-
vidual shall, for the duration of such individual’s first term
of office as a Member of Congress, be determined as if
this section had never been enacted.
(e) SUSPENSION IN TIME OF WAR.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In the event of a war de-
clared by Congress, rates of pay shall be restored to
the rates that would then be payable if, and shall be
subject to adjustment in the same way as if, this
section had never been enacted, subject to paragraph
(2).
(2) END OF WAR.—After any such war ends,
the preceding subsections of this section shall again
become effective, except that, in applying such sub-
sections—
(A) any reference to fiscal year 1996 shall
be deemed to be a reference to the first fiscal
year beginning after the date on which such
war ends; and
(B) any reference to any later fiscal year
shall be determined accordingly.
The respective fiscal years to which the deficit tar-
gets set forth in any concurrent resolution on the
budget for fiscal year 1996 shall be determined in
like manner for purposes of so applying such sub-
sections.
SEC. 4. ELIMINATION OF AUTOMATIC ANNUAL PAY ADJUST-
MENTS FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (2) of section 601(a)
of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C.
31) is repealed.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 601(a)(1)
of such Act is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(a)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘(a)’’;
(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B),
and (C) as paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively;
and
(3) by striking ‘‘, as adjusted by paragraph (2)
of this subsection’’.
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