Sponsors (14)
The bill forces timely annual budgeting and creates enforceable, recurring penalties and certification procedures to reduce shutdowns and increase predictability, but it tightens deadlines and enforcement in ways that can spur rushed decisions, procedural gaps, politicized implementation, and financial impacts on Members.
Taxpayers and the public: federal programs and services are more likely to be funded on time because Congress must pass a concurrent budget and all regular appropriations by Oct 1 each year.
Federal employees and program beneficiaries: lower risk of shutdown-related pay interruptions and service disruptions because on-time appropriations are required before the fiscal year begins.
State and local governments, contractors, and service providers: clearer and earlier funding outlooks because a timely federal budget and appropriations schedule is mandated.
Congress and the public: imposing a fixed annual deadline may push Congress to rush complex budget and appropriations decisions, increasing the risk of errors or poorly vetted allocations.
State/local governments, contractors, and beneficiaries: if the deadline is missed, automatic or abrupt procedural consequences could produce sudden funding gaps and disrupt programs and services.
Taxpayers and the legislative process: withholding Members' pay is a blunt tool that may not resolve underlying disagreements and could incentivize brinkmanship instead of constructive negotiation.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Conditions Member pay on annual congressional approval of a budget resolution and all regular appropriations by October 1; suspends pay for periods of noncompliance with no retroactive pay.
Requires both Houses of Congress to approve a concurrent budget resolution and pass all regular appropriations bills by October 1 each fiscal year and suspends pay for Members of Congress for any period when those deadlines are missed, with no retroactive pay. Each chamber’s Budget and Appropriations Chairs must annually determine and certify noncompliance and the period of pay suspension. The Act takes effect September 29, 2027.
Official title: 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 January 14, 2025 by Richard Lynn Scott · Last progress January 14, 2025