Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) joined a bipartisan, bicameral letter to House and Senate leadership urging inclusion of the No Budget, No Pay Act in any end-of-year budget discussions and government funding legislation.

The No Budget, No Pay Act incentivizes Members of Congress to pass a budget by withholding pay until the budget is completed.

“No Budget, No Pay is something my constituents have heard me talk about over and over for the last two years,” said Rep. Hern. “It’s a common-sense idea that if Congress doesn’t do our job, we shouldn’t get paid. In business, I don’t pay employees to sit around and do nothing – that’s a sure-fire way to get terminated. In Congress, however, there are very rarely consequences for Members who refuse to do their job. This letter has support from Senators and Representatives on both sides of the aisle; this kind of unified support is not something you see often in Congress. I hope our leadership understands the gravity of this moment and the importance of getting our country back on track with a budget.”

The letter was also signed by:

       Senator Rick Scott (R-FL)
       Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA)
       Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)
       Senator Mike Braun (R-IN)
       Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)
       Senator Steve Daines (R-MT)
       Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
       Senator David Perdue (R-GA)
       Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI)
       Representative Vern Buchanon (R-MI)
       Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
       Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI)
       Representative Lance Gooden (R-TX)
       Representative Ralph Norman (R-SC)
       Representative Scott Perry (R-PA)

The letter can be found here and below.

December 3, 2020

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
United States Senate

The Honorable Charles Schumer
Minority Leader
United States Senate

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
United States House of Representatives

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Republican Leader
United States House of Representatives

Dear Congressional Leadership:

Appropriating funds is the most basic duty of Congress, but for the past 40 years, Congress has cut corners by passing short-term spending bills – Continuing Resolutions – that just keep government funded at existing levels. Washington’s dysfunction has also led to multiple government shutdowns, which hurt Americans. Even members of the Coast Guard went without a paycheck during the last government shutdown, all while members of Congress continue to get paid.

As we finalize negotiations on Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations, we urge you to include No Budget, No Pay legislation as part of any end-of-year spending package. No Budget, No Pay simply says that if Congress cannot work together to fund the government, they should not be getting paid. Hardworking Americans across the country are still struggling to recover from the coronavirus, yet members of Congress will still get paid if they fail to do their most basic job of funding the government.

This proposal has bipartisan support and has already moved through Congress. It was approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in June 2019, and is included as part of the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act (S. 1877).

Withholding paychecks from members of Congress who fail to pass appropriations is an important step to prevent government shutdowns, which hurt the economy and millions of everyday Americans. But it’s also an important step to promote fiscal responsibility.

If Americans failed to do their jobs, they would be held accountable. The same should be true of Congress. We look forward to continuing to work with you to make important reforms so Washington works better for all Americans.

Sincerely,

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