Sponsors
The bill eliminates automatic, index-linked pay adjustments for Members of Congress and shifts pay-setting to explicit congressional action—boosting transparency and legislative control but risking politicized decisions that could either freeze pay below inflation or produce ad hoc taxpayer-funded raises.
Members of Congress will no longer receive automatic, formula-based pay increases tied to the Employment Cost Index or statutory cross-references to GS adjustments; any future changes to Member pay will require separate congressional action.
Requiring explicit congressional votes to change Member pay makes raises more visible to voters and media, increasing public accountability and transparency around pay decisions.
Taxpayers could face politically driven, ad hoc pay increases if Congress later approves raises without an objective cap tied to GS or an index.
Removing the automatic cost-of-living mechanism means Member pay could lag inflation unless Congress acts, potentially affecting recruitment, retention, or perceptions of compensation fairness.
Making Member pay subject to explicit legislative decisions may politicize salary-setting, creating partisan disputes and uneven treatment compared with other federal pay schedules.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Eliminates the automatic annual ECI‑based cost‑of‑living adjustment for Members of Congress and removes the cap tying increases to GS adjustments.
Repeals the automatic annual cost‑of‑living pay adjustment for Members of Congress that was tied to the Employment Cost Index and the related rule that capped Member pay increases at no more than the federal General Schedule adjustment. It updates cross‑references in the Legislative Reorganization Act so pay changes will be “adjusted as provided by law” instead of occurring automatically. The change takes effect when the 120th Congress convenes.
Introduced February 20, 2026 by Ralph Norman · Last progress February 20, 2026