Press Releases

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and Scott Peters (D-CA) announced the introduction of the No Budget, No Pay Act. This bipartisan legislation would prevent Congress from being paid unless it does its job and passes a budget and all 12 appropriations bills on time. While the federal government is currently shutdown, dysfunction in Washington, DC is not new. 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.

“We need to get our nation’s budget and appropriations process back on track,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “If Congress can’t fulfill its most basic duty to pass a budget, it shouldn’t get paid, and Members of Congress shouldn’t get back-pay either. The No Budget, No Pay Act forces the same real-world consequences on all Members of Congress that a shutdown or continuing resolution places on our troops and hardworking Americans. DC dysfunction should not be rewarded. Americans want government to get back basics and get our nation’s fiscal house in order. We can jump start this process by holding Congress personally accountable to its budgetary deadlines!”

“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.”

“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.”

On September 30^th, Congressman Huizenga requested the House of Representatives withhold his pay until the federal government reopens and the men and women serving in our military are paid.

Prior to this, Congressman Huizenga introduced the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act on September 18^th. This now bipartisan legislation would ensure our border patrol agents, immigration officers, TSA officials, and U.S. Coast Guard personnel would continue to receive a paycheck in the event of a government shutdown.

Legislative text for the No Budget, No Pay Act can be found here.