No Budget, No Pay Act
No Budget, No Pay Act would withhold pay for Members of Congress if Congress does not timely approve a concurrent budget resolution and all regular appropriations bills by October 1 of a given fiscal year. The bill creates a formal mechanism whereby pay for Senators and Representatives could be suspended for the period after October 1 during which Congress is not in compliance, with determinations and certifications made by the designated Budget and Appropriations Chairs in each chamber. The act includes a specific implementation process, a no-retroactive-pay rule, and an effective date of September 29, 2027, meaning the policy would apply starting with the fiscal year that begins after that date. The Vice President is explicitly excluded from being treated as a “Member of Congress” under this statute.
Key Points
- 1Trigger for no pay: If, by October 1 of a fiscal year, Congress has not approved a concurrent budget resolution and passed all regular appropriations bills for that year, pay may be withheld for the period after October 1 during which Congress is not in compliance.
- 2Enforcement mechanism: The Budget and Appropriations Chairs in the Senate and the House determine whether Congress is in compliance and determine the number of days after October 1 that Members may not be paid; the Chairs issue timely certifications as requested by the relevant officials (Secretary of the Senate or House Chief Administrative Officer).
- 3Scope and definitions: Defines the relevant leadership figures (Budget and Appropriations Chairs) and clarifies that “Member of Congress” follows the standard definition in 5 U.S.C. 2106 but excludes the Vice President.
- 4Payment and retroactivity rules: No funds may be used for pay during periods of noncompliance; there is explicitly no retroactive pay for those periods after the fact.
- 5Effective date and applicability: The act becomes effective on September 29, 2027, meaning its pay-withholding provisions would apply to fiscal years beginning after that date (e.g., FY 2028 onward) and not to earlier periods.