Legislation introduced to hold Congress accountable for funding inaction

Virginia Republican Rep. Rob Wittman has reintroduced legislation to “hold members of Congress accountable and bring transparency back to the budget and funding process.”

As part of Wittman’s plan to hold Congress accountable, he introduced three pieces of legislation aimed at holding members’ feet to the fire in an effort to pass a budget, keep them in Washington and withhold member pay if they fail to pass funding bills.

The No Budget, No Pay Act would withhold congressional member pay if a budget fails to pass by April 15 for the next fiscal year. Its intent is to “serve as an enforcement measure” to hold congressional members accountable.

The Stay on Schedule Resolution would require the House to remain in session through its August summer recess – unless all government funding bills are passed by the end of July.

Lastly, the congressman introduced the Inaction Has Consequences Act, which would withhold congressional members' pay if they fail to pass all 12 government funding bills by the end of the fiscal year.

If the legislation is approved and Congress doesn’t pass a budget or funding bills as outlined in the bills, the members’ pay would be deposited into an escrow account. The secretary of the Treasury would be required to assist the payroll administrators of both chambers in carrying out the acts.

Wittman lamented his frustration with Congress for failing to fulfill its “most fundamental responsibility.”

"Time and again, Congress has failed to fulfill its most fundamental responsibility: passing a budget and funding the government on time – this is wholly unacceptable," said the congressman.

Wittman’s latest legislation may gain greater traction in the 119th Congress and the incoming second Trump administration with the push for more government efficiency in Washington.

The congressman said the latest funding crisis may have been prevented if Congress had stayed in recess in August, underscoring a need to hold members accountable.

"Last December, we witnessed yet another preventable funding crisis because Congress chose to adjourn for August recess rather than stay in Washington to pass the remaining government funding bills," Wittman said. "Since my first day in office, I’ve been committed to restoring transparency and accountability in Washington. These bills are a crucial step in that direction. By returning to regular order — where we read, debate, and vote on spending bills through the committee process — we can eliminate wasteful spending, streamline duplicative programs, and address the growing burden of our national debt."