← Back to Bills
H.R. 208House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

No Budget, No Pay Act

Sponsored by Robert J. WittmanRep. Robert J. Wittman (R-VA)
Introduced January 3, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 3:51 AM UTC

The No Budget, No Pay Act would withhold members of Congress’ salaries in an escrow account if their chamber fails to pass a budget resolution by April 15. The withheld pay is released once a budget is approved or at the end of the congressional term. The measure applies to all voting members, delegates, and resident commissioners, and requires Treasury assistance to implement.

Key Provisions

  • If a House of Congress (the House of Representatives or the Senate) has not adopted a budget resolution by April 15, the payroll administrator must place all members’ salary payments into an escrow account starting April 16.
  • The escrowed salaries are released only when the House finally adopts a budget resolution or, if that never happens, on the last day of that Congress.
  • While salaries are in escrow, normal tax withholdings and other deductions continue as if the pay were being made normally.
  • The rule applies to all members, including delegates and resident commissioners.
  • The Treasury Secretary will assist the House and Senate payroll administrators in carrying out the escrow process.
  • The law takes effect for fiscal year 2026 and each year thereafter.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action
HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

January 3, 2025

View full timeline
HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 3, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

January 3, 2025

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 208 on the floor

1 Republican
Trent Kelly
Rep. Trent KellyR-MS-1 · Jul 10, 2025

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable life and legacy of Colonel Carlyle ``Smitty'' Harris, a true American hero. Colonel Harris, a retired United States Air Force officer, was 36 years…

Record

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Raw Text PDF XML
Introduced in HouseIssued January 3, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 208

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 3, 2025

Mr. Wittman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

A BILL

To provide that the salaries of Members of a House of Congress will be held in escrow if that House has not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget for the next fiscal year by April 15.

1.

Short title

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

2.

Holding salaries of members of congress in escrow upon failure to agree to budget resolution

(a)

Holding salaries in escrow

(1)

In general

If by April 15, a House of Congress has not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget for the next fiscal year pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, during the period described in paragraph (2) the payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall deposit in an escrow account all payments otherwise required to be made during such period for the compensation of Members of Congress who serve in that House of Congress, and shall release such payments to such Members only upon the expiration of such period.

(2)

Period described

With respect to a House of Congress, the period described in this paragraph is the period which begins on April 16 and ends on the earlier of—

(A)

the day on which the House of Congress agrees to a concurrent resolution on the budget for the next fiscal year pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974; or

(B)

the last day of the Congress.

(3)

Withholding and remittance of amounts from payments held in escrow

The payroll administrator 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 section is carried out in a manner that shall not vary the compensation of Senators or Representatives in violation of the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of a House of Congress shall release for payments to Members of that House of Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow account under this section on the last day of the Congress.

(5)

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.

(b)

Treatment of delegates as members

In this section, the term Member of Congress includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress.

(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 Act shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2026 and each succeeding fiscal year.