# Plain Language Summary: Inaction Has Consequences Act

This bill creates a financial penalty for Congress if it fails to pass its regular budget bills on time. Here's how it works: if either the House or Senate doesn't pass all of its standard appropriation bills by the start of a new fiscal year (October 1st), the salaries of all members in that chamber get frozen in an escrow account—basically a holding account where the money sits untouched. The members don't receive their paychecks during this period, even though the money is technically theirs.

The salary freeze continues until one of two things happens: either Congress finally passes all the required budget bills, or the current Congress ends (which happens every two years). Once either event occurs, the frozen salaries are released and members get paid for the time they were withheld. Importantly, taxes and other required deductions are still taken from the escrowed money as if the members had been paid normally—they just don't see the actual cash until the freeze ends.

The bill applies to all members of Congress, including Representatives, Senators, and Delegates. The practical effect is meant to create pressure on lawmakers to do their jobs on schedule. If Congress regularly misses budget deadlines, members would face delayed paychecks, which the bill's supporters hope would motivate them to prioritize passing budgets promptly. However, members would eventually receive all their salary, so it's more of a temporary inconvenience than a permanent loss of income.

Inaction Has Consequences Act

Wittman, Robert J.

Inaction Has Consequences Act This bill withholds the salaries of Members of a chamber of Congress that has not passed each of the annual appropriations bills before the beginning of the fiscal year, beginning with FY2022. Salaries are released on the earlier of (1) the date on which the chamber of Congress passes the bills, or (2) the last day of the Congress.