Washington, DC – Yesterday, Representatives Scott Peters (CA-50) and Bill Huizenga (MI-04) introduced the bipartisan No Budget, No Pay Act to prevent Congress from getting paid unless it does its job and passes a budget on time.

The federal government is currently shutdown, but dysfunction isn’t new to Washington, DC. Since the last major overhaul of federal budgeting and spending laws in 1974, Congress has only passed a budget resolution and all the accompanying spending bills on time once.

California also had a history of budget gridlock. Every year, our state legislature is required to pass a budget by June 15th. The governor must then sign or issue a veto by June 27th before the beginning of the Fiscal Year on July 1st. California only passed a budget before the start of the fiscal year 10 times in the 30 years before the state implemented its own No Budget, No Pay law. 

Putting their own pay on the line lit a fire under state lawmakers. The result: California’s budget has been signed on time every year.

“Our most important responsibility is the power of the purse, but Congress has again failed to do its job.” Congressman Peters said. “No Budget, No Pay will stop Members of Congress from getting paid unless they get a budget done on time. When the government shuts down, countless Americans are forced to endure the consequences. That’s why, each week for the duration of the shutdown, I am donating my take-home salary to local nonprofits working to support San Diegans who are suffering because of the shutdown.”

Last week, Rep. Peters donated the equivalent of one week’s worth of take-home pay to a non-profit that supports enlisted servicemembers.

“Addressing our challenging fiscal situation will be difficult unless policymakers do the hard work of budgeting,” said Zach Moller, Director of the Economic Program at Third Way. “The No Budget, No Pay Act led by Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA) and Bill Huizenga (R-MI), presents a way for Congress to focus on this essential task. Ideas like this need to be in the mix as we try to both break out of a government shutdown and consider improvements to the budget and appropriations process.”

“No Budget, No Pay is a much-needed enforcement mechanism to ensure that Congress is doing its job and passing the federal budget on time - something that has not occurred since 1996. We are also deeply appreciative of the bipartisan leadership shown by Representatives Huizenga and Peters to introduce this and other bills,” said Carolyn Bordeaux, Executive Director of the Concord Coalition. “This legislation, paired with their bipartisan Fiscal Commission Act, could help this country make significant strides towards a budget process that is on time and on target to close the deficit. We urge all Members of Congress to support these bills and move them swiftly to the floor and to the President’s desk.”

The bill text can be found here. 

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