No Pay for Congressional Recklessness Act
Bill: H.R.9031 | Sponsor: Rep. Norman, Ralph (R-SC)
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
No Pay for Congressional Recklessness Act
This bill withholds congressional salaries and restricts the use of federal funds for travel by Members of Congress and executive branch employees while a continuing resolution (CR) is in effect. For the 118th Congress and subsequent Congresses, the bill also reduces congressional salaries by 1% for each day that a CR is in effect.

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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``No Pay for Congressional 
Recklessness Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITING USE OF FUNDS FOR CERTAIN GOVERNMENT 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 employees.--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 Congress 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 is 
        necessary to respond to a threat to national security, a 
        significant law enforcement event, or a natural 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 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 continuing resolution after the 
                date such shutdown ends.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
            (1) The term ``executive agency'' has the meaning 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 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 CONGRESS WHILE CONTINUING 
              APPROPRIATIONS ARE IN EFFECT.

    (a) Rule for One Hundred Seventeenth Congress.--
            (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 Congress shall--
                    (A) 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 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 Member 
                        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 escrow 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 continuing 
                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 continuing resolution 
                        after the date such shutdown 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 remittance 
        with respect to a payment deposited in an escrow 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 violation of the twenty-seventh amendment to the 
        Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of 
        a House of Congress shall release for payment 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 
        Seventeenth Congress.
    (b) Subsequent Congresses.--
            (1) Withholding salaries.--If a pay period occurs during 
        the One Hundred Eighteenth Congress 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 respect 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 percent of the annual rate of basic pay for the Member 
        under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 
        1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) for each day during 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 continuing 
                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 date such 
                        shutdown ends or the date on which 
                        appropriations and funds are no longer made 
                        available pursuant to a continuing resolution 
                        after the date such shutdown ends.
    (c) Role of Secretary of the Treasury.--The Secretary of the 
Treasury shall provide the payroll administrator 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 Secretary of the Senate who 
        is designated by the Secretary to carry out this section.

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 appropriation measure for the 
        fiscal year is not enacted before the beginning of such fiscal 
        year, a bill or joint resolution making continuing 
        appropriations for any program, project, or activity for which 
        funds were provided in the preceding fiscal year in the amount 
        provided 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 Resident Commissioner to, the 
        Congress.
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