# No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act

This bill would stop members of Congress from getting paid whenever the federal government shuts down or when the country faces a debt default crisis. Right now, even when Congress can't agree on a budget and the government stops operating, or when the nation can't pay its bills, members of Congress continue to receive their regular paychecks. This bill changes that.

Here's how it would work in practice: If Congress fails to pass a budget and federal agencies close down, or if the Treasury Department can't pay the government's existing debts because Congress hasn't raised the debt limit, then senators and representatives would stop receiving their salaries immediately. The moment either crisis ends and normal operations resume, their paychecks would start again. The idea behind this is to create financial pressure on lawmakers to reach agreements quickly, since they'd be directly affected by the gridlock they create.

The bill affects all voting members of Congress—both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It doesn't apply to their staff members or other government workers, only the elected officials themselves. Supporters argue this gives Congress a personal incentive to avoid shutdowns and debt crises that harm the broader economy and millions of Americans. Critics counter that it might not actually motivate faster deals and could be seen as unfairly targeting elected officials while other government workers also lose paychecks during shutdowns.

No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act

Spanberger, Abigail Davis

No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act This bill withholds or eliminates the pay of Members of Congress for any day that the public debt limit is reached or there is a government shutdown. During the 118th Congress, any salary earned by Members during these events must be held in escrow and released on the last day of that Congress. For subsequent Congresses, a Member shall not be paid for any day that these events occur.