No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act
Sponsored By: Representative Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
Introduced
Summary
Automatic pay reductions for Members of Congress when the federal debt limit is reached or a government shutdown begins. The bill would dock a Member's pay by one day's pay for each 24‑hour period the debt limit is hit or a lapse in appropriations causes a shutdown, and it sets special escrow rules for the 119th Congress and timing tied to the November 2026 election.
Show full summary
- Members of Congress would lose pay equal to one day's salary for every 24‑hour period the debt ceiling is reached or a shutdown is in effect. The debt‑limit and shutdown rules apply to days after the November 2026 general election.
- During the 119th Congress House and Senate payroll administrators must withhold those amounts and deposit them into an escrow account. The escrowed funds must be released only at the end of the 119th Congress and the escrow does not apply to days after the November 2026 election.
- The Secretary of the Treasury would provide assistance to payroll administrators, and the bill names the House and Senate payroll officials responsible for carrying out the withholdings.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Pay cuts for Congress during shutdowns or default
If enacted, Members of Congress would lose one day of pay for each 24-hour period the government is shut down or the debt limit stops payments. For the 119th Congress, pay for those days would be withheld and put into escrow, then paid out on the last day of that Congress. That escrow step would not apply to days after the regular November 2026 federal election. For days after that election, the daily reductions would apply directly to each Member’s annual pay.
Payroll and Treasury roles for pay cuts
If enacted, the bill would set when the rules apply: a shutdown means a lapse in funding, and default means the debt limit blocks required payments. It would define who is covered as a Member of Congress and name the House and Senate payroll officers who must run the withholdings and escrow. The Treasury Department would help those payroll offices carry out these tasks.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
VA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
PA • R
Sponsored 3/10/2025
Bresnahan
PA • R
Sponsored 3/21/2025
Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
NH • D
Sponsored 9/26/2025
Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/26/2025
Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
NH • D
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]
PA • D
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Kean
NJ • R
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11]
PA • R
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Elfreth
MD • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10]
VA • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Cisneros
CA • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Kennedy (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]
HI • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1]
OH • D
Sponsored 11/12/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov