[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 72 (Thursday, April 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2581-S2582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         No Budget, No Pay Act

  Mr. HELLER. Mr. President, as we approach yet another deadline to 
continue funding for the government, I rise to speak today regarding my 
frustration and disappointment that Congress is once again kicking the 
can down the road. I am frustrated that I keep having to have this same 
conversation with my colleagues. I am disappointed in the lack of 
responsibility of everyone here in Washington, DC, to

[[Page S2582]]

do their job. Washington, DC, is the only place I can think of where 
people believe it is OK not to do their job, miss their deadlines, make 
up a new deadline, and then repeat that same process year after year 
after year.
  I am upset that continually I have to remind everyone in Congress 
that the most basic responsibility that we have is to pass a budget and 
all of the appropriations bills and we should do it on time. It seems 
like Members of Congress now depend on the countdown clock at the 
bottom of every news channel to remind them to do their job.
  Here we are, 4 months into 2017, and we still have not completed the 
appropriations process that was supposed to have been done half a year 
ago. If that is not bad enough, we only have 15 legislative weeks left 
to finish funding for the next fiscal year. My colleagues, I believe we 
are setting ourselves up for failure.
  Washington is a consequence-free zone. That is why I will continue to 
advocate for my No Budget, No Pay Act. I have personally never seen 
Congress pass all 12 appropriations bills on time, on their own, 
without an omnibus or a CRomnibus. Regardless of who is in the 
majority, regardless of who is in the minority, my No Budget, No Pay 
legislation says that if Members of Congress do not pass an annual 
concurrent bipartisan budget resolution and all 12 spending bills on 
time, each year, then, they should not get paid.
  Let me repeat that last part. If Congress fails to pass all 12 
spending bills on time each year, then, they should not get paid. The 
American public is just as frustrated as I am. Since I have introduced 
No Budget, No Pay, I have been getting some much positive support for 
this idea. A woman by the name of Patricia from Fernley, NV, wrote to 
say No Budget, No Pay is long overdue.
  Dorothy from Henderson, NV, wrote me to say No Budget, No Pay is a 
wonderful solution. Just last week, speaking in Reno, NV, I was asked 
when Congress is going to finally pass the No Budget, No Pay Act. Until 
the No Budget, No Pay Act is passed into law, I don't see any other way 
to motivate Members of Congress to do their job and avoid these 
continuing resolutions in the future.
  I cannot support a CR that just boots our problems to another day 
without enacting the principles that are outlined in my No Budget, No 
Pay Act. There are important issues that need to be addressed through 
the appropriations process. For my home State of Nevada, we are looking 
at proposals from this new administration to cut funding to vitally 
important programs, such as the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management 
Act, better known as SNPLMA, or payments in lieu of taxes, better known 
as the PILT program.
  While these programs may not mean much to some of my colleagues, for 
Nevada they are vitally important to ensuring economic viability and 
competitiveness for our State. Moreover, Nevada has been a good steward 
of these dollars by utilizing them for job-creating projects within my 
State.
  By taking up individual appropriations bills and engaging in debate 
on programs important to particular agencies, Members have the 
opportunity to fight for priorities that are important to their State. 
Right now, I am fighting to fund these programs. Sometimes this fight 
needs to ensure certain programs are not funded because they are a 
waste of taxpayer dollars, like Yucca Mountain. I cannot say it enough 
times for my colleagues: Congress should not provide any funding to 
this failed project that has already wasted so many taxpayer dollars.
  Nevada will not be a federally subsidized national nuclear waste 
dump, plain and simple. If I can repeat that. Nevada will not be a 
federally subsidized national nuclear waste dump, plain and simple. 
Without exercising the power of the purse, which my No Budget, No Pay 
legislation ensures, we will all be right back here in a week, a month, 
or several months, making the same speeches, taking the same votes over 
and over.
  So I would like to say to any of my colleagues who are tired of these 
continuing resolutions, regardless of what specific issues they are 
fighting for, to support the No Budget, No Pay Act. I believe the 
Congress can work again, but it will take some of that accountability--
like the No Budget, No Pay Act--to get us there.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.