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To hold the salaries of Members of a House of Congress in escrow if the House of Congress does not pass regular appropriation bills on a timely basis during a Congress, and for other purposes.
Summary
- If a House of Congress does not pass all regular appropriation bills by the first day of a fiscal year, the payroll administrator shall deposit Members' salaries in escrow beginning with fiscal year 2026.
- Escrowed salaries are released when all regular appropriation bills are passed or on the last day of the Congress, whichever comes first.
- Regular appropriation bills are defined as annual appropriation bills under the jurisdiction of a single subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations in each house.
- Tax withholding and remittance requirements apply to amounts held in escrow as though they were not subject to this act.
- Any amounts remaining in escrow at the end of a Congress are released to Members to comply with the Twenty-Seventh Amendment.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
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![Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/W000804.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Wittman, Robert J. (R-VA) [#1]
2 cosponsors
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![Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/K000399.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. (R-VA) [#2] -
![Rep. Onder, Robert F. [R-MO-3]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/O000177.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Onder, Robert F. (R-MO) [#3]
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Robert J. Wittman’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- Employer not reported $103,150
- ES3 $23,200
- EAW GROUP LLC $16,600
- ALTRIA GROUP INC. $16,500
- CACI $15,255
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Robert J. Wittman → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Jan 3, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on House Administration. · house
- Jan 3, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 3, 2025
Mr. Wittman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration
A BILL
To hold the salaries of Members of a House of Congress in escrow if the House of Congress does not pass regular appropriation bills on a timely basis during a Congress, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Inaction Has Consequences Act”.
SEC. 2. HOLDING SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN ESCROW UPON FAILURE TO PASS REGULAR APPROPRIATION BILLS.
(a) Holding Salaries in Escrow.—If by the first day of a fiscal year (beginning with fiscal year 2026), a House of Congress has not passed each of the regular appropriation bills for such fiscal year, during the period described in subsection (b) the payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall deposit in an escrow account all payments otherwise required to be made during such period for the compensation of Members of Congress who serve in that House of Congress, and shall release such payments to such Members only upon the expiration of such period.
(b) Period Described.—With respect to a House of Congress and a fiscal year, the period described in this paragraph is the period which begins on the first day of the fiscal year and ends on the earlier of—
(1) the first day by which the House of Congress has passed each of the regular appropriation bills for such fiscal year; or
(2) the last day of the Congress during which that fiscal year begins.
(c) Regular Appropriation Bill Defined.—The term “regular appropriation bill” means any annual appropriation bill which, with respect to the Congress involved, is under the jurisdiction of a single subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives (pursuant to the Rules of the House of Representatives for that Congress) and a single subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate (pursuant to the Standing Rules of the Senate).
SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION OF ESCROW.
(a) Withholding and Remittance of Amounts From Payments Held in Escrow.—The payroll administrator shall provide for the same withholding and remittance with respect to a payment deposited in an escrow account under section 2 that would apply to the payment if the payment were not subject to such section.
(b) Role of Secretary of the Treasury.—The Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll administrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrators to carry out this Act.
SEC. 4. RELEASE OF AMOUNTS AT END OF A CONGRESS.
In order to ensure that this Act is carried out in a manner consistent with the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of a House of Congress shall release for payments to Members of that House of Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow account under section 2 on the last day of the Congress during which the amounts were deposited in such account.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act—
(1) the term “Member” includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress; and
(2) the “payroll administrator” of a House of Congress means—
(A) in the case of the House of Representatives, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or an employee of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer who is designated by the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out this Act; and
(B) in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate, or an employee of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate who is designated by the Secretary to carry out this Act. <all>
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