Sponsors (9)
The bill seeks to force on-time federal budgeting and stronger accountability (including pay-withholding penalties and compliance checks) to reduce shutdowns and funding uncertainty, but it risks rushed or politicized budgeting, legal and administrative disputes, income disruption for Members, and delays in the law's effects.
Federal employees, taxpayers, state and local governments, and contractors would face fewer funding interruptions and a lower risk of government shutdowns because budget and appropriations are required to be passed on time each year.
Taxpayers and the public would gain stronger fiscal accountability because Members of Congress can have pay withheld as a concrete penalty when Congress fails to meet budget timelines, creating incentives to reduce continuing resolutions and funding uncertainty.
Federal agencies, congressional staff, and payroll administrators get clearer rules because the bill specifies which congressional leaders are authorized interlocutors and expressly excludes the Vice President from the definition of 'Member of Congress,' reducing ambiguity for coordination and administration.
All Americans face the risk that imposing a strict statutory budget deadline will force rushed or incomplete budgeting and reduce the quality of legislative deliberation on spending decisions.
Taxpayers and federal operations could still see short-term continuing resolutions or emergency measures as Congress rushes to meet the deadline, shifting budget pressure rather than resolving underlying disagreements.
Withholding Members' pay as a penalty could politicize budget standoffs and escalate brinkmanship, potentially making appropriations processes more unstable rather than more cooperative.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Conditions Members' pay on Congress approving a budget resolution and all regular appropriations by Oct 1 each year and withholds pay for any noncompliant period with no retroactive pay.
Introduced October 10, 2025 by Tim Moore · Last progress October 10, 2025
Requires both the House and Senate each year to adopt a budget resolution and pass all regular appropriations bills by October 1 (the start of the federal fiscal year). If either chamber fails to meet that deadline, the Treasury is barred from paying Members of Congress for the days Congress remains noncompliant, and no retroactive payments may be made for those periods. A certification process in each chamber will determine compliance and the period of pay withholding. The law takes effect on September 29, 2027.