No Budget, No Pay Act

Accountability through financial consequences: Under Section 3, Members of Congress would lose their pay for every day following October 1 if they have not approved a concurrent resolution on the budget and passed all regular appropriations bills. This provides a direct incentive for Congress to complete its budgetary duties on time.

Prevention of retroactive pay: Section 4(b) ensures that Members cannot receive pay for the periods they were supposed to be unpaid, even after the required legislation is eventually passed. This ensures the financial penalty for inaction remains permanent.

Financial uncertainty for Members of Congress: According to Section 3, pay may be withheld for a period of days following October 1 until the budget and all regular appropriations bills are approved. This creates a period where income is unavailable depending on how long Congress takes to complete its legislative requirements.

Dependency on Committee Chairpersons for determinations: Under Section 5, the determination of whether pay should be withheld and the length of that period is decided by the Chairpersons of the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations in both the Senate and the House.