Us Congress 2023-2024 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB3538

Introduced
5/18/23  

Caption

No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act

Impact

The bill indicates a significant change in how government officials are held accountable for fiscal management. By proposing a direct financial penalty for Members of Congress, it challenges the traditional narrative of government pay, which has often been seen as insulated from the repercussions of fiscal irresponsibility. If enacted, this measure could encourage Congress to prioritize timely budgetary decisions and address issues concerning the public debt limit more proactively to avoid personal financial losses among its members. The provisions would be enforced starting after the 2024 general elections, creating immediate awareness about potential consequences.

Summary

House Bill 3538, known as the 'No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act', aims to penalize Members of Congress by reducing their annual pay if the public debt limit is reached or a government shutdown occurs. This legislation emphasizes accountability for government officials, with provisions that would effectively tie their compensation to the functioning of federal financial obligations. It seeks to implement automatic salary deductions for each day that the government remains shut down or when the debt limit is reached.

Contention

Discussion around HB 3538 may reveal varying opinions regarding its potential effectiveness. Proponents argue that by linking compensation to the performance of government, it will foster a culture of responsibility and discourage the kind of stasis that frequently leads to government shutdowns. Conversely, critics may point to the fact that such measures could undermine the independent legislative process and lead to populist reactions against elected officials during challenging fiscal periods, regardless of the circumstances driving the need for governmental decisions such as budget cuts or fiscal restraints. The bill embodies a tension between accountability and legislative independence.

Companion Bills

US HB5587

Related My Constituents Cannot Afford Rebellious Tantrums, Handle Your Shutdown Act

Similar Bills

US SB2773

Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act

US SB1879

Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act

CA SCR161

The First Continental Congress.

NJ AR154

Urges Congress to provide for joint session at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in honor of semiquincentennial of Declaration of Independence.

DC B25-0825

Removal of the Highway Plan and Building Restriction Line from Lot 9 in Square 5914 along the West Side of Congress Street, S.E., S.O. 22-01642, Act of 2024

CA AJR27

Convention of states for proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution: federal balanced budget.

TX SJR1

Urging the Congress of the United States to propose and submit to the states for ratification a federal balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States and, in the event that Congress does not submit such an amendment on or before December 31, 2011, applying to Congress to call a convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to that constitution to provide, in the absence of a national emergency and on a two-thirds vote of Congress, for a federal balanced budget and requesting that the legislatures of each of the several states that compose the United States apply to Congress to call a convention to propose such an amendment.

US SR107

A resolution recognizing the expiration of the Equal Rights Amendment proposed by Congress in March 1972, and observing that Congress has no authority to modify a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment after the amendment has been submitted to the States or after the amendment has expired.