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H.R. 129: No Budget, No Pay Act

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H.R. 129: No Budget, No Pay Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-01-03 · Congress · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2019-01-03 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Cooper, Jim [D-TN-5] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

No Budget, No Pay Act

Plain summary

No Budget, No Pay Act This bill prohibits Members of Congress from being paid in a fiscal year until both chambers approve the budget resolution and pass all regular appropriations bills for that fiscal year. Retroactive pay is prohibited for such a period.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), 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

No Budget, No Pay Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Cooper, Jim [D-TN-5] · 28 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jim Costa (D-CA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Scott H. Peters (D-CA), Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL), Ami Bera (D-CA), James A. Himes (D-CT), Ed Case (D-HI), Susie Lee (D-NV), Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ), Frank D. Lucas (R-OK), Tom Cole (R-OK), Kevin Hern (R-OK)

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 (4)
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.
Resolution
A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong116-hr129 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116