Boxer, Casey Introduce Bill to Prevent Lawmakers from Being Paid During a Default or Government Shutdown

Press Release

By:  Barbara Boxer Bob Casey, Jr.
Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Location: Washington, DC

U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Bob Casey (D-PA) today introduced the Government Shutdown and Default Prevention Act, legislation that would prevent Members of Congress and the President of the United States from being paid during a default or shutdown of the federal government.

"A default on our nation's debt or a deliberate shutdown of our government would be a disaster for our economy and hurt millions of Americans," Senator Boxer said. "This legislation would send a simple message to members of Congress -- if you take these actions that will severely harm the American people, you don't deserve and won't receive a paycheck."



In recent weeks, leading Republicans have threatened to default on the nation's debt or shut down the government if their demands are not met. Economists and business leaders have warned that a default would have catastrophic impacts on the global financial system and the U.S. economy, and a government shutdown would hurt millions of Americans by disrupting Social Security checks, benefits for veterans and paychecks for our troops.


Currently, members of Congress and the President are treated differently from millions of other federal employees because they are paid through mandatory spending required by law (2 U.S.C. 31 and 3 U.S.C 102) rather than through the annual appropriations process. The Boxer-Casey bill would fix this inequity by saying that the President and Members of Congress "shall not receive basic pay for any period in which there is more than a 24 hour lapse in appropriations for any Federal agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution OR if the Federal Government is unable to make payments or meet obligations because the debt limit has been reached."