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Withholding Congressional Pay During Federal Government Shutdowns.

This bill introduces a mechanism to withhold the daily pay of Members of Congress for every day the federal government is shut down due to a lapse in funding. The goal is to increase the financial accountability of elected officials for preventing administrative paralysis. Full pay reduction takes effect after the November 2026 election, while salaries are temporarily held in escrow before that date.
Key points
Members of Congress (Senators and Representatives) will not receive pay for each 24-hour period the government shutdown is in effect.
The change aims to incentivize Congress to quickly pass budgets and prevent interruptions in federal agency operations.
To comply with the Constitution, salaries will be temporarily withheld and held in an escrow account until November 2026, after which they will be released.
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Status: Introduced
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Additional Information
Print number: 119_HR_5891
Sponsor: Rep. Steil, Bryan [R-WI-1]
Process start date: 2025-10-31
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure — full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source—always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-09-2025
Source data: api.congress.gov
AI work logs for this document launch

OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 119_HR_5891.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2025-10-31.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Members of Congress (Senators and Representatives) will not receive pay for each 24-hour period the government shutdown is in effect.
  • The change aims to incentivize Congress to quickly pass budgets and prevent interruptions in federal agency operations.
  • To comply with the Constitution, salaries will be temporarily withheld and held in an escrow account until November 2026, after which they will be released.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Introduced.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Steil, Bryan [R-WI-1].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Introduced in House

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-23.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know—that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

CATEGORIES

Courts and Law Economy