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H.R. 129House116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

No Budget, No Pay Act

Sponsored by Jim CooperRep. Jim Cooper (D-TN)
Introduced January 3, 2019

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 13, 2026 at 11:39 PM UTC

The No Budget, No Pay Act would withhold salary from Senators and Representatives after October 1 of any fiscal year in which Congress fails to pass a budget resolution and all regular appropriations bills. Pay would resume only once those actions are completed, and members could not receive back pay for the withheld period. The bill sets up a certification process by the budget and appropriations committees to determine and certify the pay‑freeze each year.

Key Provisions

  • If Congress has not adopted a budget resolution and passed all regular appropriations bills before October 1 of a fiscal year, members of Congress stop receiving pay after that date until both are approved.
  • Members cannot be paid retroactively for any days they were unpaid under this rule.
  • The Senate and House budget and appropriations committee chairs must certify each year, on October 1, whether the pay‑freeze applies and for how many days, after a request from the Senate secretary or House chief administrative officer.
  • The law takes effect on February 1, 2021.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

January 3, 2019

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 3, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

January 3, 2019

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued January 3, 2019

I

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 129

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 3, 2019

Mr. Cooper (for himself, Mrs. Murphy, Mr. O'Halleran, Mr. Loebsack, Mr. Costa, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Ms. Brownley of California, Mr. Buchanan, and Mr. Peters) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

A BILL

To provide that Members of Congress may not receive pay after October 1 of any fiscal year in which Congress has not approved a concurrent resolution on the budget and passed the regular appropriations bills.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the No Budget, No Pay Act.

2.

Definition

In this section, the term Member of Congress—

(1)

has the meaning given under section 2106 of title 5, United States Code; and

(2)

does not include the Vice President.

3.

Timely approval of concurrent resolution on the budget and the appropriations bills

If both Houses of Congress have not approved a concurrent resolution on the budget as described under section 301 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632) for a fiscal year before October 1 of that fiscal year and have not passed all the regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year before October 1 of that fiscal year, the pay of each Member of Congress may not be paid for each day following that October 1 until the date on which both Houses of Congress approve a concurrent resolution on the budget for that fiscal year and all the regular appropriations bills.

4.

No pay without concurrent resolution on the budget and the appropriations bills

(a)

In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds may be appropriated or otherwise be made available from the United States Treasury for the pay of any Member of Congress during any period determined by the Chairpersons of the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate or the Chairpersons of the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives under section 5.

(b)

No retroactive pay

A Member of Congress may not receive pay for any period determined by the Chairpersons of the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate or the Chairpersons of the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives under section 5, at any time after the end of that period.

5.

Determinations

(a)

Senate

(1)

Request for certifications

On October 1 of each year, the Secretary of the Senate shall submit a request to the Chairpersons of the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate for certification of determinations made under paragraph (2) (A) and (B).

(2)

Determinations

The Chairpersons of the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate shall—

(A)

on October 1 of each year, make a determination of whether Congress is in compliance with section 3 and whether Senators may not be paid under that section;

(B)

determine the period of days following each October 1 that Senators may not be paid under section 3; and

(C)

provide timely certification of the determinations under subparagraphs (A) and (B) upon the request of the Secretary of the Senate.

(b)

House of Representatives

(1)

Request for certifications

On October 1 of each year, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives shall submit a request to the Chairpersons of the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives for certification of determinations made under paragraph (2) (A) and (B).

(2)

Determinations

The Chairpersons of the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives shall—

(A)

on October 1 of each year, make a determination of whether Congress is in compliance with section 3 and whether Members of the House of Representatives may not be paid under that section;

(B)

determine the period of days following each October 1 that Members of the House of Representatives may not be paid under section 3; and

(C)

provide timely certification of the determinations under subparagraph (A) and (B) upon the request of the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives.

6.

Effective date

This section shall take effect on February 1, 2021.