Bill Summary
The Budget Process Enhancement Act is a bill that is aimed at improving the budget process in the United States. It includes several changes to the baseline calculations used in budget planning and also addresses the issue of budget accountability for Members of Congress.
One of the major changes in this bill is the removal of the discretionary inflater from the baseline, which is used to adjust for inflation and other factors. This means that the budget will be based on the actual current year's spending, excluding any emergency resources or supplemental appropriations.
The bill also includes a provision that requires the salaries of Members of Congress to be held in escrow if they have not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2024 by April 15, 2023. This means that if a budget resolution is not reached by this date, the payroll administrator of the respective House of Congress will deposit all payments for the compensation of Members of Congress into an escrow account, and the salaries will only be released once a budget resolution is agreed upon or at the end of the One Hundred Eighteenth Congress.
In addition, this bill also requires the Inspector General of the Office of Personnel Management to make an annual determination of whether the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the President are in compliance with the statutory requirement to submit the President's budget to Congress. If they are found to be in noncompliance, the Director of OMB and other top OMB officials will not receive pay during that period of noncompliance.
These provisions will take effect upon the date of enactment of the bill. Overall, the Budget Process Enhancement Act aims to improve budget planning and accountability among Members of Congress and top OMB officials.
Possible Impacts
1. Delays in budget resolution can lead to a delay in the release of salaries for Members of Congress, affecting their personal finances and potentially causing financial strain for them and their families.
2. The salaries of Members of Congress may be held in escrow and withheld if they do not agree to a concurrent resolution on the budget, which could impact the daily lives and financial stability of these individuals.
3. The Budget Process Enhancement Act can hold Members of Congress accountable for timely submission of the President's budget, potentially creating additional pressure and stress for these individuals in fulfilling their duties.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 111 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 111
To remove the discretionary inflater from the baseline and to provide
that the salaries of Members of a House of Congress will be held in
escrow if that House has not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the
budget for fiscal year 2024.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 9, 2023
Mr. Biggs introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committees on House
Administration, and Oversight and Accountability, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
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A BILL
To remove the discretionary inflater from the baseline and to provide
that the salaries of Members of a House of Congress will be held in
escrow if that House has not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the
budget for fiscal year 2024.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Budget Process Enhancement Act''.
TITLE I--CHANGES IN THE BASELINE
SEC. 101. CHANGES IN THE BASELINE.
Section 257(c) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control
Act of 1985 is amended--
(1) in the second sentence of paragraph (1), by striking
everything that follows ``current year,'' and inserting
``excluding resources designated as an emergency requirement
and any resources provided in supplemental appropriation
laws.'';
(2) by striking paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5);
(3) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (2); and
(4) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new
paragraph:
``(3) No adjustment for inflation.--No adjustment shall be
made for inflation or for any other factor.''.
TITLE II--BUDGET ACCOUNTABILITY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
SEC. 201. HOLDING SALARIES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN ESCROW UPON
FAILURE TO AGREE TO BUDGET RESOLUTION.
(a) Holding Salaries in Escrow.--
(1) In general.--If by April 15, 2023, a House of Congress
has not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget for
fiscal year 2024 pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974, during the period described in paragraph
(2) the payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall
deposit in an escrow account all payments otherwise required to
be made during such period for the compensation of Members of
Congress who serve in that House of Congress, and shall release
such payments to such Members only upon the expiration of such
period.
(2) Period described.--With respect to a House of Congress,
the period described in this paragraph is the period which
begins on April 16, 2023, and ends on the earlier of--
(A) the day on which the House of Congress agrees
to a concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal
year 2024 pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974; or
(B) the last day of the One Hundred Eighteenth
Congress.
(3) Withholding and remittance of amounts from payments
held in escrow.--The payroll administrator shall provide for
the same withholding and remittance with respect to a payment
deposited in an escrow account under paragraph (1) that would
apply to the payment if the payment were not subject to
paragraph (1).
(4) Release of amounts at end of the congress.--In order to
ensure that this section is carried out in a manner that shall
not vary the compensation of Senators or Representatives in
violation of the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of
a House of Congress shall release for payments to Members of
that House of Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow
account under this section on the last day of the One Hundred
Eighteenth Congress.
(5) Role of secretary of the treasury.--The Secretary of
the Treasury shall provide the payroll administrators of the
Houses of Congress with such assistance as may be necessary to
enable the payroll administrators to carry out this section.
(b) Treatment of Delegates as Members.--In this section, the term
``Member of Congress'' includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to
the Congress.
(c) Payroll Administrator Defined.--In this section, the term
``payroll administrator'' of a House of Congress means--
(1) in the case of the House of Representatives, the Chief
Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or an
employee of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer who
is designated by the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out
this section; and
(2) in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate,
or an employee of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate who
is designated by the Secretary to carry out this section.
SEC. 202. DETERMINATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH STATUTORY REQUIREMENT TO
SUBMIT THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET.
Not later than 3 days after the President's budget is due, the
Inspector General of the Office of Personnel Management shall--
(1) make an annual determination of whether the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the President are
in compliance with section 1105 of title 31, United States
Code; and
(2) provide a written notification of such determination to
the Chairs of the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Chairs of the Committee on
the Budget and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
SEC. 203. NO PAY UPON FAILURE TO TIMELY SUBMIT THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET
TO CONGRESS.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no
funds may be appropriated or otherwise be made available from the
United States Treasury for the pay of the Director of OMB, Deputy
Director of OMB, and the Deputy Director for Management of OMB during
any period of noncompliance determined by the Inspector General of the
Office of Personnel Management under section 202.
(b) No Retroactive Pay.--The Director of OMB, Deputy Director of
OMB, and the Deputy Director for Management of OMB may not receive pay
for any period of noncompliance determined by the Inspector General of
the Office of Personnel Management under section 202 at any time after
the end of that period.
SEC. 204. EFFECTIVE DATE.
Sections 202 and 203 shall take effect upon the date of enactment
of this Act.
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