H.R. 1789 – No Government No Pay Act of 2017

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 2:14 PM UTC

The No Government No Pay Act of 2017 would stop members of Congress from being paid for any days that a federal government shutdown occurs. It applies to both the House and Senate and would take effect for the 116th Congress and all future Congresses. The bill defines a shutdown as a lapse in appropriations and requires the Treasury to help Congress’s payroll offices carry out the pay withholding.

Key Provisions

If a government shutdown happens on any day within a pay period, the payroll administrator must withhold from each member’s salary an amount equal to one day's pay multiplied by the number of shutdown days in that period.
The Secretary of the Treasury must provide assistance to the House and Senate payroll administrators to implement the withholding.
A shutdown is defined as a lapse in appropriations for any federal agency or department due to failure to pass a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution.
The definition of “Member of Congress” follows the existing Legislative Reorganization Act categories and the rule applies to the current and all future Congresses.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

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.

Committee on House Administration

March 29, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

March 29, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

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.

Committee on House Administration

March 29, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued March 29, 2017

I

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1789

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 29, 2017

Mr. Nolan 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 prohibit the pay of Members of Congress during periods in which a Government shutdown is in effect, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the No Government No Pay Act of 2017.

2.

Prohibiting pay of Members of Congress in response to government shutdown

(a)

Prohibition of Pay

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 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—

(1)

an amount equal to one day’s worth of pay under the annual rate of pay applicable to 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 which the Government shutdown is in effect which occur during the pay period.

(b)

Role of Secretary of the Treasury

The Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll administrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrators to carry out this section.

(c)

Payroll administrator defined

In this section, the payroll administrator of 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.

(d)

Effective date

This section shall apply with respect to days occurring during the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress and each succeeding Congress.

3.

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.

4.

Member of Congress defined

In this Act, the term Member of Congress means an individual serving in a position under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501).