No Budget, No Pay Act

This bill, titled the "No Budget, No Pay Act," seeks to compel Congress to fulfill its budgetary responsibilities by imposing a direct financial consequence on its members. Specifically, it mandates that Members of Congress will not receive their pay for any day after October 1 of a fiscal year if both Houses have not approved a concurrent resolution on the budget and passed all regular appropriations bills for the upcoming fiscal year. The suspension of pay would continue daily until both the budget resolution is approved and all appropriations bills are passed. A critical provision states that Members of Congress would not receive retroactive pay for any period during which their pay was suspended, ensuring that the financial incentive remains in effect. The Vice President is explicitly excluded from the definition of "Member of Congress" for the purposes of this Act. Determinations regarding compliance and the period of pay suspension would be made by the Chairpersons of the Budget and Appropriations Committees in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. These chairpersons are responsible for certifying whether Congress is in compliance with the requirements and for specifying the duration of the pay suspension. This Act is slated to take effect on February 1, 2027 .