1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Hold Congress Accountable Act”.
Hold Congress Accountable Act
A BILL
To reduce the annual rate of pay of Members of Congress if a Government shutdown occurs during a year, and for other purposes.
2. Requiring reduction of pay of Members of Congress if Government shutdown occurs
Reduction of pay for each day of Government shutdown— If on any day during a year a Government shutdown is in effect, the annual rate of pay applicable under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) with respect to each Member of Congress for the year shall be reduced by an amount equal to the product of—
an amount equal to one day’s worth of pay under such annual rate; and
the number of 24-hour periods during which the Government shutdown is in effect.
Effective date— This section shall apply with respect to days occurring after the date of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2020.
3. Special rule for One Hundred Sixteenth Congress
Holding salaries in escrow— If on any day during the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress a Government shutdown is in effect, the payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall—
withhold from the payments otherwise required to be made with respect to a pay period for the compensation of each Member of Congress who serves in that House of Congress an amount equal to the product of—
an amount equal to one day’s worth of pay under the annual rate of pay applicable to the Member under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501); and
the number of 24-hour periods during which the Government shutdown is in effect which occur during the pay period; and
deposit in an escrow account all amounts withheld under paragraph (1).
Release of amounts at end of the Congress— In order to ensure that this section is carried out in a manner that shall not vary the compensation of Senators or Representatives in violation of the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of a House of Congress shall release for payments to Members of that House of Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow account under this section on the last day of the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress.
Role of Secretary of the Treasury— The Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll administrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrators to carry out this section.
Payroll administrator defined— In this section, the “payroll administrator” of a House of Congress means—
in the case of the House of Representatives, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or an employee of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer who is designated by the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out this section; and
in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate, or an employee of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate who is designated by the Secretary to carry out this section.
Exception for days occurring after general election— This section does not apply with respect to any day during the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress which occurs after the date of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2020.
4. Determination of Government shutdown
For purposes of this Act, a Government shutdown shall be considered to be in effect if there is a lapse in appropriations for any Federal agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution.
5. Member of Congress defined
In this Act, the term Member of Congress means an individual serving in a position under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501).