# 119-s-45: Balanced Budget Accountability Act

119-s-45, Balanced Budget Accountability Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-06).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-45
- As of: 2026-08-06
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-45
- Congress: 119
- Title: Balanced Budget Accountability Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-09
- Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Congress
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-06

## Summary

**This bill would tie Members' pay to a balanced budget** by withholding or cutting salaries until Congress adopts a qualifying budget. It would also require any revenue increase to win an affirmative three‑fifths vote in each chamber. - Members of Congress would risk having pay held in escrow during the 119th Congress and could be paid $1 per year in later years until a certified balanced budget is adopted. - Lawmakers and revenue policy would change because any measure that increases revenue between the Houses would need an affirmative three‑fifths vote, making tax or other revenue increases harder without broad support. - The bill would define a “balanced budget” starting for fiscal year 2035 as outlays that do not exceed receipts and that are not more than 18% of projected GDP.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA] (R-PA), 2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New budget cap and Member penalties: mixed, high. If enacted, the bill would define a "balanced budget" for Congress starting in fiscal year 2035. A budget would be balanced only if total outlays do not exceed receipts and are no more than 18% of that year’s projected GDP (as set by the Bureau of Economic Analysis). The bill would also make OMB ce…
- Three-fifths vote to raise revenue: mixed, high. If enacted, the bill would require a three-fifths affirmative vote in each House to approve any bill, amendment, or conference report that increases revenue. The rule would apply to both the House and the Senate as part of each House's procedural rules. Each House would still retain the constitutio…

## Related bills

- 119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025
- 119-s-554: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-45 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/45)

## Related
- [119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3597)
- [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952)
- [119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4378)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-292)
- [119-s-554: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-554)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-45 (as of 2026-08-06).