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No Budget, No Pay

March 14, 2012 by  

No Budget, No Pay

A bill gaining bipartisan support on and off of Capitol Hill sends a pretty clear message to Congress: Fail to do your job, and we aren’t going to pay you.

Representative Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) and Senator Dean Heller (R-Nev.) introduced identical “No Budget, No Pay” bills in the House and Senate in December that are continuing to gain co-sponsors and endorsements. Cooper’s bill currently has the support of 34 Representatives equally divided by party and Heller’s has six co-sponsors in the Senate, only one of whom is a Democrat, according to The Washington Times.

If “No Budget, No Pay” became law, the stakes would be high for American legislators. In the past six decades, Congress has managed to pass a budget successfully only four times.

“If this body can’t find a way to do what we have been sent here to do by the American people, which is to cut spending and reduce our nation’s outrageous $15 trillion deficit, then we don’t deserve to get paid,” Representative Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) said of the proposed legislation.

The measure has scored endorsements from the taxpayer-watchdog group Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, the free-market organization Americans for Prosperity and the centrist group No Labels.

Filed Under: Conservative Politics, Government, Liberty News, Staff Reports
Sam Rolley

Staff writer Sam Rolley began a career in journalism working for a small town newspaper while seeking a B.A. in English. After learning about many of the biases present in most modern newsrooms, Rolley became determined to find a position in journalism that would allow him to combat the unsavory image that the news industry has gained. He is dedicated to seeking the truth and exposing the lies disseminated by the mainstream media at the behest of their corporate masters, special interest groups and information gatekeepers.

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  • JOSEPH BENDZINSKI

    This bill will do no good at all. Its all fluff – fuzzy ball – making everyone fell good. If it ever went thru and it got applied – they may have their pay stopped – but you can be sure that they will get back payments. No way is this going to happen. Remember you are dealing with a group that is real slippery. Take pelosi – there is a ticket. Slippery as an eel. This is an example of how this group works. A bill for a 15 per cent pay raise is being voted on. If it passes they get 15 per cent. However, underlaying that bill is a clause that says if the bill fails they get 25 per cent. Where else in the world can this happen.

  • Steve

    The only way this works is if they do not get paid and the time they did not create a budget they do not get any pay at all. So if they take 3 weeks to make a budget then they get 3 weeks less pay. BUT it has to have more teeth in it by saying you lose a years pay.

    I called my senator and asked what is the repercussion to ole harry not creating a budget and I was told nothing can be done. Imagine if you did not do your job??

  • http://comcast.net Ron Paynter

    None of you should believe for a moment that this bill will pass. These do nothings in Congress are not about to cut off their noses to spite their faces.The possibility of this passing is 1000% not going to happen. We can;t have these poor congressmen and women giving up their taxpayer funded boondoggles,the basically free gym memberships,and all the other free(to them)perks they have to put up with.Forget it.

  • Michael Hallczuk

    I am all for it, and if it takes them over a month, the senate and congress should be got rid of.

    • 45caliber

      I still want to see them be forced to show that any bill they propose is allowed under the Consitition before they vote on it.

      • steve hughes

        then comes the courts. the supreme court would not even respond to my simple question: are the constitution & ammendments not the supreme law of the land ? i was called a conservatare for thinking i knew more about the constitution than the man in the offal office, when all i did was ask that simple question. i never got a response from them so i guess the question is insignificant !!!!

  • R Hill

    Passing the no pay bill is a start, but the best thing we can do is to vote the democrasts and Rinos out of office. Obama and his team of democrats do not respect or even follow the constitution. They are dictators and communist wanna bes. They have to go.

    • APN

      I agree R Hill but it will be an arduous task to remove these Marxist thugs from power. Just too many dope smoking lazy FOOLS in this country now that have swallowed this progressive marxist crap hook, line and sinker.

  • walker

    how about making them live under the same laws and healthcare they pass for us, right now they are exempt from the same stupid restictions they put on us. so they must obey and follow the same ruies they put on us.

    • APN

      Yep and our founding principles clearly states that fact.

  • Bob Alex

    Bob Alex says:
    March 14, 2012

    I agree with many of the responses in this discussion. When we speak of the Presidents and congresspersons compensation, it is minimum as compared to their personal expense accounts (slush funds), which far exceed their base salaries, all at the taxpayers expense. In addition to their loss of salaries, they should be denied any monies paid over
    their salaries, as well as, having fines levied against them for dereliction of duties, and,
    placing undue hardships on the American people.

    • APN

      I agree except we need to replace FINES with PRISON.

  • walker

    it has to be a “BALANCED BUDGET”. they can’t be allowed to have an open budget with no cuts. a balanced budgets along with real cuts not just cuts in yhe rate of growth

  • 45caliber

    I not only agree to this, I believe that all pay should be set by and come from the states. Congress shouldn’t be allowed to set their own pay and conditions/benefits. Let the state legislators do that. It would make them much more willing to listen to the voters in their states instead of someone else. Further, the states should all allow recall eletions for the members of Congress. In fact, I’d like to see at least a yearly vote on whether to keep the person or not. (No campaigning.) If the vote shows no support, then they can run others to take his place.

    • bp

      GREAT idea, 45caliber; make the representatives accountable to their states. I like it.

    • APN

      I concur completely! I would also add going back to our FOUNDING PRINCIPLES and have each state legislature “APPOINT” our respective senators. When those APPOINTED senators DO NOT vote the will of the states THEY are representing, well, WE THE PEOPLE will MANDATE that you return home so we can send someone to Washington that WILL vote the will of the people.

  • Hey You

    Evidently, we are continuing the fantasy that the USA is U (united). Give that idea up – - the USA is too big not to fall.

  • Wayne Neva

    Not sure where this (“no budget, no pay”) will go. First, anyone an sponsor a bill but then the rest of Congress the the President has to go along with it. Second, the two party sytem is a roadblock to a lot of ideas. BUT, I still like this bill. A step in the right direction.

    • walker

      i;m sorry but we must have at least a two party system. do you know why? it stops a one party system from doing things that people might not want to the most part it works. one party can’t get everything they want nor can the other. that’s the way it was set up. so we would not become a dictator one party rule. those systems have failed every time . what if a party you don’t like was in charge and you thought they were crazy. in a 2 party system you have a chance to stop it. and then you try to convince more people to come to your side so you can win the election

      • Vigilant

        walker, I think you’ve missed Wayne’s point. He’s not talking about reducing the parties but increasing them.

      • Bob Alex

        Issues in Congress have been exploding due to the lack of representation from our elected officials; appointed “czars” who are legislating, and regulating without congressional control, as well as, the circumvention of our Constitution. This is in addition to an Executive Branch and a Congress who always seem to to running for election, or re-election, and being preoccupied with increasing their personal wealth. It seems that they are cut from the same fabric, no matter which side of the aisle they are on.

        Failure to propose, and pass a No Budget-No Pay bill should be a clear indicator to all voters that it is perhaps time to replace many, or most of our sitting representatives in November 2012.

  • RJS

    I agree. No budget…no pay OR benefits. All pay and benefits should be suspended.
    Also, I would like to see ALL federal employees be put on the same system as our military for pensions, insurance, etc. There is no justification for Congress to be able to receive a full pension after one term and the best our military can get is 50% after 20 years. It’s criminal.

  • Sirian

    This sounds good but that’s about as far as it will go. It’s an election year so is it not fairly common place that things of this nature happen? No, not really. . .

  • Amy

    Congress has usurped power over the people…as it is the People of the United States who are the masters of both COngress and the Courts, not to overthrow the Constittioin but to overthrow the men/women who pervert the Constitution.

    Congress does not have the power to raise its salaries,and “perks”….and should be demanded to rescind the rescent $13,000. yearly raise it gave itself; there needs to be a drastic change in theie pension system, either give the people the same retirement plan they have given themselves, or they shoul go on the same Social Security System they give the people– which many in Congress are talking about removing it along with Medicare..these items are not theirs to do as they please. THE PEOPLE pay a premium for this retirement plan–it is not tax money for government to use as it pleases …

    Every act of Government against or without the consent of the People is injustice, usurpation and tyranny.

    Congress, with a few quick strokes of the pen can easily balance the budget and greatly reduce the deficit:

    Stop ALL the Billions going out to other countries in “Foreign Aid”–while Congress borrows money in order to run our own country.

    Congress should be made to take its responsiblity for our monetary system–this would save Billions in Interest we pay to the outsider bankers.

    Bring home our military scatered around the world in 137 countries..this would reduce the military budget more than half and we would have them for our own borders and country’s protection.

    • http://gravatar.com/mcrocker007 mcrocker007marci crocker

      Great post Amy. We also need to pass a bill that Cogress terms are no loger than 8 years. No more career politicians. This is why we are in the mess we are in.

    • http://sbcglobal.net tim

      They did it. now what will we do same thing we alway do.Nothing thing thank you stand up for your self tim

  • http://commonsense Joseph W. Ryder

    America fared well until the educated showed up, jails emptied undesireales and people willing to come to america, mayflower time died and fought made this country in the beginning great. We now thanks to the educated fifteen trillion dollar debt, and growing seems to be the answere, borrow our way to prosperity. Reagan started the downhill trend, eight years in office borrowed just under three trillion, just to give the rich tax break,
    called voodoo politics by vice president, and raised taxes when he became president trying to stop the national debt increase, saying read my lips no new taxes, biggest tax increase in History trying to do right thing. Congress today would make things great again by cutting all benifits to ordinary people, to ballance budget while there perks are the backbone of good government, also lobby money they say buys Nothing? Old timmer said beware of the man who doesn’t have a little dirt under his Fingernails. Education for some reason sets us apart from common sense, look where we are now, compared from Washington through J, Carter, better than two hundred years of America, never had a trillion dollar DEBT, thanks to Reagan we do now, we have never recovered from the just under the three trillion, then and counting thanks to tax Breaks!

    • bp

      Ryder: Sorry, Reagan was the first ANTI-progressive. Look back further.

      • Vigilant

        “saying read my lips no new taxes…”

        You’ve got the wrong president, Ryder. Take a history course or two before you show your ignorance.

      • Vigilant

        Ryder, you would also do well to take a course in statistics and logic. Making Reagan the fall guy is an unbelievable distortion of the truth.

        Go to http://www.skymachines.com/US-National-Debt-Per-Capita-Percent-of-GDP-and-by-Presidental-Term.htm if you don’t believe me.

        Per capita debt as a percentage of income was $13,123 (84%) at the end of Reagan’s terms (8 years). Under Obama that figure has risen to $26,487 per person, or 183% of income.

        Reagan increased the national debt by a total of $1.8 trillion in 8 years. Obama has increased that total by $4.4 trillion in only three years. How in the name of sanity you can blame Reagan for the out of control spending?

        As for taxes, refer to Wikipedia: “According to a 1996 report of the Joint Economic Committee of the United States Congress, during Reagan’s two terms, and through 1993, the top 10% of taxpayers paid an increased share of tax revenue to the Federal government, while the lowest 50% of taxpayers paid a reduced share of the tax revenue.”

    • John Wilch (TSgt, USAF Ret.)

      Fella, I tink you have your fact wrong, Reagan cut taxes across the board, while Obummer has borrowed more in his three years in office than Reagan, Carter, Bush (Both), Clinton ever did.

      What we need in office is someone that is fiscally savy, knows how to stay within a budget (Oop, we need to get one passed) and loves America. I don’t care who it is but we need to fire Obummer this coming November.

      • APN

        Yep! He needs to be dethroned but I am afraid that King Obama WILL get his second term to finish off the USA. Just too many dumb lazy dope smoking FOOLS in this country now that have bought into his Progressive-Marxist crap. i.e.; Don’t worry, smoke your dope and propagate as many illegitimate billy goats as you can, and I, King Obama, will have all the RICH folks pay for your FOOLISHNESS. Just do whatever makes you “Feel good”.

        Welcome to the new world order!

    • steve hughes

      we are set on a path long before “education” plays a significant role in confusion. we act & react to all kinds of external stimulii & don’t always make the best decisions. we live in a world where everything is gray & can’t seem to recognize right from wrong or justice from injustice until it slaps us in the face & until enough citizens get slapped in the face, at the same time, confusion will continue. the third reich used confusion to make the final solution acceptable to german people & even the world turned a blind eye until they were slapped in the face, as chaos reigned, with the enormity of the problem. have you been slapped hard enough yet. the constitution is being gutted, corruption reign at the highest levels, the young have been programed by their parents to expect more & more without an understanding everything has a price,etc. it is better to be poor & understand justice than to be rich & think you are justice.

  • Chris Kendell

    First of all we need campaign finance reform along with reforms in the code of conduct of our elected officials so that they are not a special interest group unto themselves and so that we cant race the money. The only money they should get is a salary and campaign contributions should be labeled for what the usually are – bribes.

    Public Service should not be the way to financial wealth and so reforms in the way we pay and compensate all our representatives should be enacted across the nation – at all levels of government. For instance, salaries should be the same for all Senators and Representatives and should come from local funds. Raises could be awarded for longevity in doing the will of the people. Bonuses could be awarded for job performance (just like in the private sector) but in this case they would be tied to demographics like reduction in unemployment, increase in minimum wage, or decreases in the homelessness and foreclosure rates. They should also be weighted on the quality and type of legislation the representative introduces or sponsors during the year. Did that legislation reflect the values, wants, needs, and desires of his/her constituency? If it was a cookie-cutter legislation from some template created by some think tank in Washington then no credit for the legislation at all as most likely it was drafted to serve some special interest.

    Furthermore, they should be required to participate in the same benefit/retirement/IRA’s programs as the rest of us, Medicare and Social Security. That way, if they have a vested interest in these programs perhaps they will be able to think creatively of some solutions to the problems that face them.

    At least that’s what I think.

    • bp

      Chris: Nailed it “Public Service should not be the way to financial wealth”! Prime example: HillBilly Clintons never had real jobs, but are now multimillionaires from “serving”! Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

      • APN

        Yep! And all their progressive friends are too, laughing all the way to the bank! The JOKE is on US, not them, and we have become a VERY FOOLISH peoples. Only FOOLS, living in a REPUBLIC, would allow THEIR government to do such a thing, to future generations.

    • ChristyK

      I agree with the no perks. There should also be a law that states that all laws apply equally to the Congress & the people. Instead of Congress setting its own pay, I think, if there is a budget deficit of x%, then their pay decreases by x%. If there is a budget surplus of x%, their pay increases by x%. If a budget is not passed, they receive no pay until one is passed and do not get back pay once it is passed.

  • ROLLAND NEWCOMB

    Make that — NO BALANCED Budget = No PAY OR BENEFITS and they can NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION. EVER again for ANY federal office.

    • Wyatt

      Now that Rolland is an idea who’s time has come ! I hope your suggestion includes all . The House , Senate and the Presidents pay check as well . Also all the little perks they seem to get .

      I would also suggest setting a two (2) term limit to elected officials . One term in office and then the second term in Prison !

      • APN

        The PRISON term would be most fitting.

  • Chris

    Hey! I like Cannon’s comment!

  • Cannon 12pounder

    I believe in that concept but would have started with the IRS. IF congress cannon pass a budget then the taxing authority of the IRS is null and void until one is passed.

    • bp

      Cannon12pounder:I think you’re onto something! End the fed (Ron Paul should be hired by whomever wins to do so!); the entire tax & spend system needs to be overhauled. Looks like we need a “RESET” button!

    • APN

      Exactly!

  • garm

    No budget? No pay; no perks.

  • kathy

    i bet obama would nt do that he loves to send to much now really ameria it like telling you if you dont do it you lose it wer is it going to stop next will he tell fat people lose it are go to jail and you can be on the cell phone it true something has to be done but it should start with obama he hasnt done his job NOPAY FOR YOU TAKE AWAY THE KEYS TO CARS AND PLANE WERE YOUR BOSS

    • steve hughes

      take away body guards & he won’t even leave the offal office !! can’t spend it then. maybe no politician should walk the streets like the rest of us with no protection, since they think we are protected by government. i have yet to notice our protection getting there, in most cases, til after the fact.

  • Thade

    To the No Budget No Pay, will bet that in the bill, when they do get roun to passin a budget they get full back pay. To Rush’s tirade, it began as an attempt at humor. Listen to entire show for that day. But his point was NO! i dont wanna pay for this chick to get stumped on an hourly basis. + if this is what she wants or needs(oops. if she needs to may constitute an addiction which we will have to pay for) she can pay for it herself , maybe put a coin slot on that thing. THANKS! U guys r the best link to level thinkin reality avail!!! w a bit of humor.

  • J.M.R.

    well don’t stop with their salary take all their benefits

    • Nancy in Nebraska

      Why don’t we send them home? They’ll do less damage there.

      • Dolores F. Tamoria

        Try Re-Call that is faster than waiting for their terms to expire and vote them out. Do to them what the Unionists are doing to the Governor and Republican Legislators in Wisconsin.

      • steve hughes

        see if you can file a claim in small claims court for damages to you & yours. if a millinon people filed such claims, maybe the media would wonder what’s going on. file a complaint with your local police department about theft & insist they fill out a report & give you a copy & then let your news media know about it. who knows, maybe someone will take note.

    • DAVE ORGAN

      RIGHT ON!!!!

  • Jeff

    True, their REAL salary is their Perks but at least it’s a small step in the right direction

    • Realist

      I’ll go along with that. They have no fear of losing a monthly stipend in favor of receiving a much larger lobby padding on the palm. Soldiers and veterans alike have been calling for a reduction of their benefits and pay each time the legislators call for a reduction in their benefits but that always goes unnoticed. I would offer that congressional perks and pay is way too high for the number hours of productive work they give the taxpayer. That is criminal in itself. Budget balancing these days seem to only increase debt not reducing it.

  • MJB

    Who cares? This will do NOTHING… The REAL pay they receive is NOT their salary, it is their “PERKS”…

    • arj

      Well, they have always been pretty good at giving themselves pay raises for something thst doesn’t matter. They need some source of income to account for their lifestyle.

      • FreedomFighter

        How about “no budget” we jail them for failure to the American People.

        Laus Deo
        Semper Fi

      • Ted Crawford

        They have to have some means to launder their money from their ” Other Sources” don’t they?

    • Vigilant

      MJB, you’re right. This whole proposed bill is a symbolic gesture and a waste of time.

      Symbolic in the sense that it never stands a chance of passing. A waste of time and futile because it merely says, “you must pass a budget,” not a balanced budget, not a budget dedicated to reducing out of control spending, not a budget that reduces unconstitutional wealth redistribution.

      It’s pure politics, conceived to get votes while knowing that it doesn’t stand a chance of being enacted into law.

      • sarcoq

        Exactly. Just pass a Balanced Budget Amendment that is mandatory and anually and get on with it.

      • Ted Crawford

        While I do agree with you Vigilant, even an unbalanced budget would be a vast improvement over these last two Congresses!

      • Carrie

        You’ve fallen for their trap. . An Unbalanced Budget isn’t a budget at all. it’s a wish list – try in your home for a few months — spending 2 – 3 X what hyou take in America needs to elect only those who have a sense of reality and conscience, unfortunately, those aren’t the personalities willing to take the job.

    • APN

      EXACTLY MJB! With their insider trading, insider business deals and brown bags of cash left on the back porch by the “Special Interest” groups THEY serve, well hexx, what the heck would the loss of their “salaries” mean?

      We better be careful with this one because we all understand at this point that some PROGRESSIVE MARXIST HIDDEN AGENDA is behind this so called “DO-GOODER” accountability bill. Fact is, it will eliminate everyone EXCEPT the rich who CAN afford to “serve” WE THE PEOPLE for “Free”. Typical “elite” mentality being spewed at WE THE PEOPLE once again. A better bill would be ” Fire all of them and start over”.

      Fact is, this entire system is broken and as corrupt as anything I’ve ever witnessed on this planet. A “Progressive Nightmare” that started with FDR has now become reality for the WE THE PEOPLE, victims of our own stupidity for allowing this to happen in the first place. We should dig up FDR including WW and a few others and place their corpses on trial for high treason against WE THE PEOPLE and the constitution.

      This country is the biggest DISASTER on the planet and a major train wreck is in our very near future. Welcome to the new world order of “Progressive Stupidity” that was initiated about a century ago by those like FDR, TR and WW.

    • restorefreedom

      That’s why they want to hold office the perks far outweigh the salary and it’s obvious they don’t care about the welfare of the country. Pretty sickening!

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