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Money Where Our Mouths Are Act
To prohibit the pay of Members of Congress during periods in which a Government shutdown is in effect, and for other purposes.
Summary
- Reduces the pay of Members of Congress by one day's salary for each 24-hour period during which a government shutdown is in effect within their pay period.
- Defines a government shutdown as a lapse in appropriations for any Federal agency or department caused by failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution.
- Directs the payroll administrators of the House and Senate to implement the pay reductions, with assistance from the Secretary of the Treasury.
- Applies to Members of Congress beginning with the 120th Congress and all future congresses.
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. James, John [R-MI-10]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/J000307.thumb.jpg)
Rep. James, John (R-MI) [#10]
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to John James’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- Employer not reported $241,468
- RDV CORPORATION $62,700
- ENTREPRENEUR $49,799
- ULINE $19,800
- LACKS ENTERPRISES $19,400
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for John James → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Mar 27, 2026 Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
- Mar 27, 2026 Introduced in House
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.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2026
Mr. James introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To prohibit the pay of Members of Congress during periods in which a Government shutdown is in effect, 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 “Money Where Our Mouths Are Act”.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITING PAY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.
(a) Prohibition of Pay.—If on any day during a pay period a Government shutdown is in effect, the payroll administrator of each House of Congress shall exclude from the payments otherwise required to be made with respect to that pay period for the compensation of each Member of Congress who serves in that House of Congress an amount equal to the product of—
(1) an amount equal to one day’s worth of pay under the annual rate of pay applicable to the Member under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501); and
(2) the number of 24-hour periods during which the Government shutdown is in effect which occur during the pay period.
(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 section.
(c) Payroll Administrator Defined.—In this section, the “payroll administrator” of a House of Congress means—
(1) 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 section; and
(2) 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 section.
(d) Effective Date.—This section shall apply with respect to days occurring during the One Hundred Twentieth Congress and each succeeding Congress.
SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.
For purposes of this Act, a Government shutdown shall be considered to be in effect if there is a lapse in appropriations for any Federal agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution.
SEC. 4. MEMBER OF CONGRESS DEFINED.
In this Act, the term “Member of Congress” means an individual serving in a position under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501). <all>
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