Sponsors (9)
The bill aims to force timely congressional budgeting and increase accountability by creating deadlines and pay-withholding penalties — improving chances of on-time appropriations and fewer funding interruptions, but raising risks of rushed legislation, political brinkmanship, administrative disputes, income shocks for Members, and delayed implementation.
Federal employees, taxpayers, state and local governments, and contractors: budgets and appropriations would be more likely to be enacted on time each year, reducing the frequency of shutdowns and funding interruptions for federal services and state/local programs.
Members of Congress and the public: establishes a concrete penalty (withholding pay) for failure to meet budget timelines, creating a stronger incentive for timely action and potentially reducing reliance on continuing resolutions.
Agencies, congressional staff, and taxpayers: clarifies which congressional leaders count as authorized interlocutors and that 'Member of Congress' excludes the Vice President, reducing ambiguity and easing coordination for budgeting and administrative processes.
All Americans (taxpayers, federal employees): imposing a strict statutory deadline could force rushed or incomplete budgeting and reduce legislative deliberation quality.
Taxpayers and federal employees: Congress may respond to the deadline by relying on short-term continuing resolutions or emergency measures, shifting budget pressure instead of resolving underlying disputes.
Taxpayers, federal employees, and Members: withholding pay as a sanction could increase political leverage and brinkmanship, risking escalation, procedural conflict, or litigation rather than cooperation.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Conditions Members' pay on each chamber adopting a budget resolution and passing all regular appropriations bills by October 1, with pay withheld for noncompliance and no retroactive payments.
Requires both the House and Senate to adopt a budget resolution and pass all regular appropriations bills by October 1 of each fiscal year, and empowers budget and appropriations committee chairs to certify compliance. If Congress fails to meet the deadline, Members of Congress may be barred from receiving pay for the noncompliant period and no retroactive pay may be made. The law does not take effect until September 29, 2027.
Official title: 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.
Introduced October 10, 2025 by Tim Moore · Last progress October 10, 2025