[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3234 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3234

To withhold the pay of Members of Congress, the President, and the Vice 
 President if a Government shutdown is in effect or the Government is 
  unable to make payments or meet obligations because the public debt 
            limit has been reached, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 2, 2013

   Mr. Hall introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the 
  Committee on House Administration, 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 withhold the pay of Members of Congress, the President, and the Vice 
 President if a Government shutdown is in effect or the Government is 
  unable to make payments or meet obligations because the public debt 
            limit has been reached, 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 ``Pay Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. WITHHOLDING OF PAY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IF GOVERNMENT 
              SHUTDOWN IS IN EFFECT OR PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT IS REACHED.

    (a) Holding Salaries in Escrow.--If during any pay period during a 
Congress a Government shutdown is in effect or the public debt limit is 
reached, the payroll administrator of a House of Congress shall--
            (1) withhold from the payments otherwise required to be 
        made with respect to the pay period for the compensation of 
        each Member of Congress who serves in that House of Congress an 
        amount equal to the product of--
                    (A) 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. 31) for the pay period; and
                    (B) the number of 24-hour periods during which the 
                Government shutdown is in effect or the public debt 
                limit is reached (as the case may be) which occur 
                during the pay period; and
            (2) deposit in an escrow account all amounts withheld under 
        paragraph (1).
    (b) Transfer to Secretary of the Treasury at End of the Congress.--
            (1) Transfer.--The payroll administrator of a House of 
        Congress shall transfer to the Secretary of the Treasury any 
        amounts remaining in any escrow account under this section on 
        the last day of the Congress involved.
            (2) Requiring amounts to be used for deficit reduction.--
        Any amounts transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury under 
        paragraph (1) shall be deposited in the Treasury and used for 
        deficit reduction.
    (c) 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.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) 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. 31); 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 section; 
                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 section.

SEC. 3. WITHHOLDING OF PAY OF PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT IF 
              GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN OCCURS OR PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT IS 
              REACHED.

    (a) Holding Salaries in Escrow.--If during any pay period during a 
President's or Vice President's term of office a Government shutdown is 
in effect or the public debt limit is reached, the White House Office 
shall--
            (1) withhold from the payments otherwise required to be 
        made with respect to the pay period for the compensation of the 
        President or the Vice President an amount equal to the product 
        of--
                    (A) an amount equal to one day's worth of pay under 
                the annual rate of compensation of the President under 
                102 of title 3, United States Code, or the annual rate 
                of salary of the Vice President under section 104 of 
                title 3, United States Code (as the case may be), for 
                the pay period; and
                    (B) the number of 24-hour periods during which the 
                Government shutdown is in effect or the public debt 
                limit is reached (as the case may be) which occur 
                during the pay period; and
            (2) deposit in an escrow account all amounts withheld under 
        paragraph (1).
    (b) Role of Secretary of the Treasury.--The Secretary of the 
Treasury shall provide the White House Office with such assistance as 
may be necessary to enable the White House Office to carry out this 
section.
    (c) Transfer to Secretary of the Treasury at End of Term of 
Office.--
            (1) Transfer.--The White House Office shall transfer to the 
        Secretary of the Treasury any amounts remaining in any escrow 
        account under this section on the last day of the President's 
        or Vice President's term of office involved.
            (2) Requiring amounts to be used for deficit reduction.--
        Any amounts transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury under 
        paragraph (1) shall be deposited in the Treasury and used for 
        deficit reduction.

SEC. 4. DETERMINATIONS.

    (a) 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.
    (b) Public Debt Limit.--For purposes of this Act, the public debt 
limit shall be considered to be reached if the Federal Government is 
unable to make payments or meet obligations because the public debt 
limit under section 3101 of title 31, United States Code, has been 
reached.
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