Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2017

Bill: 115-hr-4512
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Blum, Rod [R-IA-1]
Introduced: 2017-12-01
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Budget deficits and national debt

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Members of Congress
Latest action: action_date: 2017-12-01
text: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-12-01
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2017</b></p> <p>This bill requires the salaries of Members of Congress to be reduced in any year that follows a year in which there was a federal budget deficit. </p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4512 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 1, 2017 Mr. Blum introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration , and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To provide that the rates of pay for Members of Congress shall be reduced following any fiscal year in which there is a Federal deficit.

1. Short Title This Act may be cited as the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2017 . 2. Definitions For the purpose of this Act— (1) a deficit shall be considered to exist in a fiscal year if total budget outlays of the Government for such fiscal year exceed total revenues of the Government for such fiscal year (as determined under section 3(d) ); and (2) the term Member of Congress or Member means an individual serving in a position referred to in section 601(a)(1) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 ( 2 U.S.C. 4501(1) ). 3. Effect of a deficit (a) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if there is a deficit in a fiscal year, then— (1) any pay adjustment for Members of Congress scheduled to take effect under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 ( 2 U.S.C. 4501 ) in the succeeding calendar year shall be null and void; and (2) effective as of the first day of the first pay period beginning in that succeeding calendar year, rates of basic pay for Members of Congress shall be reduced (from the rate in effect as of the day before the start of such succeeding calendar year) by the amount determined under subsection (b) , but not below zero. (b) Reductions required The reduction required under this subsection is as follows: (1) If the reduction is to take effect in a calendar year that does not immediately follow another calendar year in which a reduction under this section was made, the reduction amount shall be equal to 5 percent of the rate of basic pay last in effect before such reduction is made. (2) If the reduction is to take effect in a calendar year that immediately follows another calendar year in which a reduction under this section was made, the reduction amount shall be equal to 10 percent of the rate of basic pay last in effect before the most recent reduction under paragraph (1) was made. (c) Conditions for restoration If, following one or more years in which Members’ pay is reduced under this Act, there occurs a fiscal year in which there is no deficit, then, effective as of the first day of the first pay period in the succeeding calendar year (and until another deficit triggering the preceding provisions of this section occurs)— (1) rates of basic pay for Members shall be restored to the highest rate that was at any time previously payable for the office involved; and (2) pay adjustments scheduled to take effect on or after such first day under the provision of law referred to in subsection (a)(1) shall be effective. (d) Determinations Determinations of whether or not a deficit exists in any fiscal year shall, for purposes of this Act, be made by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office. In making any such determination, the Director shall exclude any budget outlays resulting from a formal declaration of war by Congress. 4. Effective date This Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, except that no determination under section 3(d) shall be made with respect to any fiscal year before fiscal year 2018.