Congress is oft portrayed as not doing their jobs, having failed to pass a budget since 2008. Finally, one congressman is doing something about it by proposing a bill that would stop congressional pay if the legislature fails to pass a budget by the due date, without giving back-pay after a budget is passed. The No Budget No Pay Act, proposed by Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev), is currently being entertained in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Senior fellow at the Brookings Institution William Galston had this to say about the bill:
“The fact that it’s getting a hearing I think is a big plus … There were a lot of people arguing that it’s a gimmick. It’s not a gimmick when it gets a hearing.”
Congress Could be made to Pay for its Budget Failures
Is this bill a step in the right direction, forcing congress to pass a timely budget? Would this bill, if passed, encourage or discourage freezing federal pay, with compromises being made on both sides to pass the budget?
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