H.R. 209

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To hold the salaries of Members of a House of Congress in escrow if the House of Congress does not pass regular appropriation bills on a timely basis during a Congress, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · January 3, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Wittman · Committee: Committee on House Administration

Table of contents

• H.R. 209
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Holding salaries of Members of Congress in escrow upon failure to pass regular appropriation bills
  • SEC. 3. Administration of escrow
  • SEC. 4. Release of amounts at end of a Congress
  • SEC. 5. Definitions

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the Inaction Has Consequences Act.

SEC. 2. Holding salaries of Members of Congress in escrow upon failure to pass regular appropriation bills

• (a) Holding Salaries in Escrow
  • If by the first day of a fiscal year (beginning with fiscal year 2026), a House of Congress has not passed each of the regular appropriation bills for such fiscal year, during the period described in subsection (b) 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.
• (b) Period Described
  • With respect to a House of Congress and a fiscal year, the period described in this paragraph is the period which begins on the first day of the fiscal year and ends on the earlier of—
    • the first day by which the House of Congress has passed each of the regular appropriation bills for such fiscal year; or
    • the last day of the Congress during which that fiscal year begins.
• (c) Regular Appropriation Bill Defined
  • The term regular appropriation bill means any annual appropriation bill which, with respect to the Congress involved, is under the jurisdiction of a single subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives (pursuant to the Rules of the House of Representatives for that Congress) and a single subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate (pursuant to the Standing Rules of the Senate).

SEC. 3. Administration of escrow

• (a) 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 section 2 that would apply to the payment if the payment were not subject to such section.
• (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 Act.

SEC. 4. Release of amounts at end of a Congress

• In order to ensure that this Act is carried out in a manner consistent with 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 section 2 on the last day of the Congress during which the amounts were deposited in such account.

SEC. 5. Definitions

• In this Act—
  • the term includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress; and Member
  • the of a House of Congress means— payroll administrator