S. 3158: A bill to require Congress to lead by example and freeze its own pay and fully offset the cost of the extension of unemployment benefits and other Federal aid.

111th Congress · introduced 2010-03-23 · Economics and Public Finance · Latest: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 334.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-03-23 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Coburn, Tom [R-OK] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 334. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

A bill to require Congress to lead by example and freeze its own pay and fully offset the cost of the extension of unemployment benefits and other Federal aid.

Plain summary

No Pay Raise for Congress Until the Budget is Balanced Act - Eliminates automatic cost of living adjustments (COLAs) for Members of Congress during FY2011 or any succeeding fiscal year, until the fiscal year following the first fiscal year that the annual federal budget deficit is $0. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) determine whether or not the annual federal budget deficit was $0 for that fiscal year, and if so, report that determination to Congress; and (2) report that determination also to the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, as well as whether or not such COLA restriction shall apply to the succeeding fiscal year. Rescinds $100 million in unobligated balances of funds made available under the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2010, except for any Capitol Police account. Prohibits the availability of such funds for any pilot program for mailings of postal patron postcards by Senators to provide notice of a town meeting by a Senator in a county or local government at which he or she will personally attend. Rescinds $9.2 billion in discretionary, unexpired funds out of all available unobligated federal funds. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) identify the accounts and amounts rescinded to implement this Act; and (2) report to the Secretary of the Treasury and Congress on them.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

A bill to require Congress to lead by example and freeze its own pay and fully offset the cost of the extension of unemployment benefits and other Federal aid.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Coburn, Tom [R-OK] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s3158.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s3158 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111