H.R. 4043 — Introduced in House

I 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4043 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 11, 2014 Mr. Rothfus introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To suspend the debt ceiling temporarily, to hold the salaries of Members of a House of Congress in escrow if the House of Congress does not agree to a budget resolution or pass regular appropriation bills on a timely basis during a Congress, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Getting Government to Work Act of 2014. 2. Temporary Suspension of Debt Ceiling (a) Suspension Section 3101(b) of title 31, United States Code, shall not apply for the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on February 2, 2015. (b) Special Rule Relating to Obligations Issued During Suspension Period Effective February 3, 2015, the limitation in section 3101(b) of title 31, United States Code, as increased by section 3101A of such title, is increased to the extent that— (1) the face amount of obligations issued under chapter 31 of such title and the face amount of obligations whose principal and interest are guaranteed by the United States Government (except guaranteed obligations held by the Secretary of the Treasury) outstanding on February 3, 2015, exceeds (2) the face amount of such obligations outstanding on the date of the enactment of this Act. An obligation shall not be taken into account under paragraph (1) unless the issuance of such obligation was necessary to fund a commitment incurred by the Federal Government that required payment before February 3, 2015. 3. Holding salaries of members of congress in escrow upon failure to agree to budget resolution or pass regular appropriations bills (a) Failure To Pass Budget Resolution (1) Holding salaries in escrow If by April 15 of any calendar year (beginning with 2015), a House of Congress has not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 for the fiscal year which begins on October 1 of that calendar year, during the period described in paragraph (2) the payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall deposit in an escrow account all payments otherwise required to be made during such period for the compensation of Members of Congress who serve in that House of Congress, and shall release such payments to such Members only upon the expiration of such period. (2) Period described With respect to a House of Congress and a calendar year, the period described in this paragraph is the period which begins on April 16 of the calendar year and ends on the earlier of— (A) the day on which the House of Congress agrees to a concurrent resolution on the budget for the fiscal year which begins on October 1 of that calendar year; or (B) the last day of the Congress during which that calendar year occurs. (b) Failure To Pass Regular Appropriation Bills (1) Holding salaries in escrow If by July 31 of any calendar year (beginning with 2014), a House of Congress has not passed each of the regular appropriation bills for the fiscal year which begins on October 1 of that calendar year, during the period described in paragraph (2) the payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall deposit in an escrow account all payments otherwise required to be made during such period for the compensation of Members of Congress who serve in that House of Congress, and shall release such payments to such Members only upon the expiration of such period. (2) Period described With respect to a House of Congress and a calendar year, the period described in this paragraph is the period which begins on August 1 of the calendar year and ends on the earlier of— (A) the first day by which the House of Congress has passed each of the regular appropriation bills for the fiscal year which begins on October 1 of that calendar year; or (B) the last day of the Congress during which that calendar year occurs. (3) Regular appropriation bill defined The term regular appropriation bill means any annual appropriation bill which, with respect to the Congress involved, is under the jurisdiction of a single subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives (pursuant to the Rules of the House of Representatives for that Congress) and a single subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate (pursuant to the Standing Rules of the Senate). (c) Administration of Escrow (1) Withholding and remittance of amounts from payments held in escrow The payroll administrator shall provide for the same withholding and remittance with respect to a payment deposited in an escrow account under subsection (a) or subsection (b) that would apply to the payment if the payment were not subject to such section. (2) Role of Secretary of the Treasury The Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll administrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrators to carry out this section. (d) Release of Amounts at end of a Congress In order to ensure that this section is carried out in a manner consistent with the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of a House of Congress shall release for payments to Members of that House of Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow account under this section on the last day of the Congress during which the amounts were deposited in such account. (e) Definitions In this section— (1) the term Member includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress; and (2) the payroll administrator of a House of Congress means— (A) in the case of the House of Representatives, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or an employee of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer who is designated by the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out this section; and (B) in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate, or an employee of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate who is designated by the Secretary to carry out this section.