[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 115th Congress]
[115th Congress]
[House Document 114-192]
[Legislate Procedures Enacted in Law]
[Pages 1238-1241]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    12. Federal Salary Act of 1967, Sec. 225(h)-(j) [2 U.S.C. 358-60]


  Sec. 225. citizens' commission on public service and compensation.-- * 
* *


  (h) recommendations of the president with respect to pay [2 U.S.C. 
358].-- * * * (2) The President shall transmit his recommendations under 
this subsection to Congress on the first Monday after January 3 of the 
first calendar year beginning after the date on which the Commission 
submits its report and recommendations to the President under subsection 
(g) [2 U.S.C. 357].

  (i) effective date of recommendations of the president [2 U.S.C. 
359].--(1) None of the President's recommendations under subsection (h) 
[2 U.S.C. 358] shall take effect unless approved under paragraph (2).

  (2)(A) The recommendations of the President under subsection (h) [2 
U.S.C. 358] shall be considered approved under this paragraph if there 
is enacted into law a bill or joint resolution approving such 
recommendations in their entirety. This bill or joint resolution shall 
be passed by recorded vote to reflect the vote of each Member of 
Congress thereon.

  (B)(i) The provisions of this subparagraph are enacted by the 
Congress--

          (I) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate and 

        the House of Representatives and as such shall be considered as 

        part of the rules of each House, and shall supersede other rules 

        only to the extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and

          (II) with full recognition of the constitutional right of 

        either House to change the rules (so far as they relate to the 


[[Page 1239]]

        procedures of that House) at any time, in

        the same manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any 

        other rule of that House.

  (ii) During the 60-calendar-day period beginning on the date that the 
President transmits his recommendations to the Congress under subsection 
(h) [2 U.S.C. 358], it shall be in order as a matter of highest 
privilege in each House of Congress to consider a bill or joint 
resolution, if offered by the majority leader of such House (or a 
designee), approving such recommendations in their entirety.

  (3) Except as provided in paragraph (4), any recommended pay 
adjustment approved under paragraph (2) shall take effect as of the date 
proposed by the President under subsection (h) [2 U.S.C. 358] with 
respect to such adjustment.

  (4)(A) Notwithstanding the approval of the President's pay 
recommendations in accordance with paragraph (2), none of those 
recommendations shall take effect unless, between the date on which the 
bill or resolution approving those recommendations is signed by the 
President (or otherwise becomes law) and the earliest date as of which 
the President proposes (under subsection (h) [2 U.S.C. 358]) that any of 
those recommendations take effect, an election of Representatives shall 
have intervened.


  (B) For purposes of this paragraph, the term ``election of 
Representatives'' means an election held on the Tuesday following the 
first Monday of November in any even-numbered calendar year.

  (j) effect of recommendations on existing law and prior 
recommendations [2 U.S.C. 360].--The recommendations of the President 
taking effect as provided in section 225(i) [2 U.S.C. 359] shall be held 
and considered to modify, supersede, or render inapplicable, as the case 
may be, to the extent inconsistent therewith--

          (A) all provisions of law enacted prior to the effective date 

        or dates of all or part (as the case may be) of such 

        recommendations (other than any provision of law enacted with 

        respect to such recommendations in the period beginning on the 

        date the President transmits his recommendations to the Congress 

        under subsection (h) [2 U.S.C. 358] and ending on the date of 

        their approval under subsection (i)(2) [2 U.S.C. 359(2)]), and

          (B) any prior recommendations of the President which take 


        effect under this chapter.


[[Page 1240]]

ommendations concerning that report in the fiscal year 1988 Budget 
message (Jan. 5, 1987, H. Doc. 100-11). Because not disapproved by the 
Congress in accordance with the Salary Act (2 U.S.C. 359), those 
recommendations took effect on March 1, 1987. On return to the normal 
quadrennial cycle, the President transmitted with the fiscal year 1990 
Budget message recommendations concerning a salary commission report 
with respect to fiscal year 1989 (Jan. 9, 1989, H. Doc. 101-21). Those 
recommendations were disapproved by Public Law 101-1 (H. J. Res. 129, 
101st Cong., Feb. 7, 1989, p. 1708). In 1989, the Salary Act was amended 
to redesignate the Commission, refine the parameters for quadrennial 
adjustments, and provide for privileged consideration of legislation to 
approve adjustments recommended by the President. The quadrennial review 
contemplated by the statute has not occurred since 1993. Adjustments are 
to maintain equal levels of pay among the Speaker, the Vice President, 
and the Chief Justice; among the Majority and Minority Leaders, the 
President pro tempore of the Senate, and level I of the Executive 
Schedule; and among Representatives, Senators, certain judges, and level 
II of the Executive Schedule (2 U.S.C. 362).

  In 1985, the Salary Act was amended to require a salary commission 
report with respect to fiscal year 1987. The President transmitted rec


  Under section 311(d) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 
1988 (2 U.S.C. 4532), the Speaker may adjust pay levels for officers and 
employees of the House to maintain certain relationships with comparable 
levels in the Senate and in the other branches of government. This 
authority to issue ``pay orders'' is stated as follows:

  ``Sec. 311. * * * (d)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
Act, or any other provision of law, rule, or regulation, hereafter each 
time the President pro tempore of the Senate exercises any authority 
pursuant to any of the amendments made by this section with respect to 
rates of pay or any other matter relating to personnel whose pay is 
disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate, or whenever any of the events 
described in paragraph (2) occurs, the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives may adjust the rates of pay (and any minimum or maximum 
rate, limitation, or allowance) applicable to personnel whose pay is 
disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of 
Representatives to the extent necessary to ensure--

          ``(A) appropriate pay levels and relationships between and 

        among positions held by personnel of the House of 

        Representatives; and

          ``(B) appropriate pay relationships between--

                  ``(i) positions referred to in subparagraph (A); and

                  ``(ii)(I) positions under subparagraphs (A) through 

                (D) of section 225(f) of the Federal Salary Act of 1967 

                [2 U.S.C. 356];

                  ``(II) positions held by personnel whose pay is 

                disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate; and

                  ``(III) positions to which the General Schedule 

                applies.


[[Page 1241]]

  ``(2) The other events permitting an exercise of authority under this 
subsection are either--

          ``(A) an adjustment under section 5303 of title 5, United 

        States Code, in rates of pay under the General Schedule; or

          ``(B) an adjustment in rates of pay for Members of the House 

        of Representatives (other than an adjustment which occurs by 

        virtue of an adjustment described in subparagraph (A)).

  ``(3) For the purpose of this subsection, the term `Member of the 
House of Representatives' means a Member of the House of 
Representatives, a Delegate to the House of Representatives, and the 
Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.''




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