Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2004 - Provides that, if there is a deficit in a fiscal year, then: (1) any pay adjustment for Members of Congress scheduled to take effect in the succeeding calendar year shall be null and void; and (2) effective as of the first day of the first pay period beginning in such year, rates of pay for Members shall be reduced (from the rate in effect as of the day before the start of such year) by the amount determined in this Act, but not below zero.
Varies the mandatory pay rate reduction from five percent, if it takes effect in a calendar year that does not immediately follow another calendar year in which a reduction was made, to ten percent, if it takes effect in a calendar year that immediately follows another calendar year in which a reduction was made.
Specifies conditions for restoration of the original pay rate, together with otherwise scheduled adjustments.
Vests authority in the Director of the Congressional Budget Office to make determinations of whether or not a deficit exists in any fiscal year.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2041 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2041
To provide that pay for Members of Congress be reduced following any
fiscal year in which there is a Federal deficit.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 2, 2004
Mr. Miller introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide that pay for Members of Congress be reduced following any
fiscal year in which there is a Federal deficit.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2004''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
For the purpose of this Act--
(1) a ``deficit'' shall be considered to exist in a fiscal
year if total budget outlays of the Government for such fiscal
year exceed total revenues of the Government for such fiscal
year (as determined under section 3(d)); and
(2) the term ``Member of Congress'' or ``Member'' means an
individual serving in a position referred to in section
601(a)(1) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2
U.S.C. 31(1)).
SEC. 3. EFFECT OF A DEFICIT.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if
there is a deficit in a fiscal year, then--
(1) any pay adjustment for Members of Congress scheduled to
take effect under section 601(a) of the Legislative
Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31) in the succeeding
calendar year shall be null and void; and
(2) effective as of the first day of the first pay period
beginning in that succeeding calendar year, rates of basic pay
for Members of Congress shall be reduced (from the rate in
effect as of the day before the start of such succeeding
calendar year) by the amount determined under subsection (b),
but not below zero.
(b) Reductions Required.--The reduction required under this
subsection is as follows:
(1) If the reduction is to take effect in a calendar year
that does not immediately follow another calendar year in which
a reduction under this section was made, the reduction amount
shall be equal to 5 percent of the rate of basic pay last in
effect before such reduction is made.
(2) If the reduction is to take effect in a calendar year
that immediately follows another calendar year in which a
reduction under this section was made, the reduction amount
shall be equal to 10 percent of the rate of basic pay last in
effect before the most recent reduction under paragraph (1) was
made.
(c) Conditions for Restoration.--If, following one or more years in
which Members' pay is reduced under this Act, there occurs a fiscal
year in which there is no deficit, then, effective as of the first day
of the first pay period in the succeeding calendar year (and until
another deficit triggering the preceding provisions of this section
occurs)--
(1) rates of basic pay for Members shall be restored to the
highest rate that was at any time previously payable for the
office involved; and
(2) pay adjustments scheduled to take effect on or after
such first day under the provision of law referred to in
subsection (a)(1) shall be effective.
(d) Determinations.--Determinations of whether or not a deficit
exists in any fiscal year shall, for purposes of this Act, be made by
the Director of the Congressional Budget Office. In making any such
determination, the Director shall exclude any budget outlays which (as
determined by the Director) directly relate to a military conflict that
lasts over 30 days or that is in direct response to a terrorist attack
on the United States.
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this
Act, except that no determination under section 3(d) shall be made with
respect to any fiscal year before fiscal year 2005.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
Committee on Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia.
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