# Plain Language Summary

This proposal would change the Constitution to tie Congressional salaries to whether Congress passes a budget on time. Here's how it would work: Members of Congress wouldn't get paid during any fiscal year (which runs from October 1st to September 30th) unless both the House and Senate have agreed on an identical budget plan before that fiscal year begins. Right now, Congress often fails to pass budgets by the deadline, but members get paid anyway. This amendment would create a financial consequence for that failure.

The idea behind this is to pressure Congress to do its job more efficiently. Supporters believe that if lawmakers' paychecks were on the line, they'd work harder to reach agreement on a budget rather than letting deadlines slip. In practice, this means if Congress can't agree on a budget by October 1st, all 535 members of Congress would stop receiving their salaries until they finally pass one. It's worth noting that this wouldn't affect other government employees or programs—only Congressional pay.

However, this is a constitutional amendment, which is extremely difficult to pass. It would need approval from two-thirds of both the House and Senate, and then three-fourths of all state legislatures would have to ratify it within seven years. That's a very high bar. Critics worry that withholding pay could actually make negotiations harder rather than easier, since desperate lawmakers might make worse budget decisions just to get paid again. Others point out that Congress members are generally wealthy enough that lost pay might not motivate them as much as it would ordinary workers.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to prohibit Members of Congress from receiving compensation during a fiscal year unless both Houses of Congress have agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget for that fiscal year prior to the beginning of that fiscal year.

Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

 <p>This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting Members of Congress from receiving compensation during a fiscal year unless both chambers have agreed to an identical concurrent resolution on the budget for that fiscal year before October 1.</p>