Sponsors (9)
The bill increases accountability and payroll predictability by withholding Members' pay and clarifying who counts as a 'Member of Congress,' but does so at the cost of potential financial hardship for lawmakers, added administrative burdens and disputes, and risks of rushed or ineffective budget deals that may not resolve underlying causes of funding delays.
Taxpayers and the public: Members' pay can be withheld when Congress fails to pass appropriations on schedule, creating a stronger incentive for timely budgeting and potentially reducing the risk of government shutdowns.
Taxpayers: The bill prevents retroactive pay for specified periods, reducing the chance that taxpayers will later be required to fund pay for lawmakers during funding gaps.
Federal payroll administrators and Members: The law provides clearer rules and a predictable annual certification process (through chamber officers and committee chairs) about when pay should be withheld, improving payroll administration and oversight.
Members of Congress: Will face loss of pay during funding gaps, which can cause financial hardship, reduce compensation during prolonged negotiations, and potentially deter service or affect morale.
Taxpayers and state governments: Withholding pay may not resolve the underlying political causes of appropriations delays (e.g., partisan deadlock), so public services could still face funding uncertainty even while pay penalties are applied.
Taxpayers and the public: Tying lawmakers' pay to procedural milestones could encourage rushed or politically-motivated agreements aimed at restoring pay rather than producing well-considered appropriations, risking lower-quality budget outcomes.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Withholds Members of Congress' pay for each day after Oct 1 until both a concurrent budget resolution is approved and all regular appropriations bills are passed; no retroactive pay.
Withholds federal pay for Members of Congress for each day after October 1 of a fiscal year when both chambers have not (1) approved a concurrent budget resolution for that fiscal year and (2) passed all regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year. Annual certifications from the relevant Budget and Appropriations Committee chairpersons must be requested on October 1 to identify whether pay withholding applies; the Treasury is barred from paying withheld amounts and may not make retroactive payments for those periods. The rule takes effect February 1, 2027.
Introduced October 14, 2025 by Scott Peters · Last progress October 14, 2025