No Budget, No Pay

Passing a budget and appropriations bills are basic responsibilities of Congress. But Congress has not adopted a budget for America in 5 years. And it’s been 18 years since all appropriations bills were passed on time.

Congress shouldn't get paid if it can't finish its work. That's why I have introduced the "No Budget, No Pay Act" to stop congressional pay if Congress fails to pass all of its budget and spending bills on time. Support has grown significantly since we first introduced the bill. In fact, in 2013, Congress overwhelmingly passed a watered-down version of my No Budget, No Pay Act. That year, both the House and Senate passed individual budgets for the first time in four years. The 2013 law was only a one-year fix and wasn’t strong enough. This was a good first step, but it needs to be permanent.

Recent News & Updates

January 7, 2015 • Cooper Introduces No Budget, No Pay in 114th Congress
January 29, 2013 • Cooper op-ed: No Budget, No Pay Act finally finds support in Congress
January 28, 2013 • Seattle Times Editorial: ‘No budget, no pay’ — a gimmick that might work
January 23, 2013 • No Budget, No Pay Passes House
January 18, 2013 • Cooper Introduces No Budget, No Pay in 113th Congress
July 26, 2012 • Cooper Op-ed in the Atlantic: How to Get Congress on Good Behavior
June 22, 2012 • Cooper Talks about NBNP and Congressional Reform on MSNBC
March 30, 2012 • Cooper Op-Ed in the Tennessean: Grab Congress by its Purse Strings
March 15, 2012 • The Tennessean: Rep. Jim Cooper's 'no budget, no pay' bill gains momentum
March 14, 2012 • Cooper interviews on CNN, FOX and FOX Business about No Budget, No Pay
March 14, 2012 • Cooper Testifies about No Budget, No Pay Act
Feb. 29, 2012 • Blue Dogs Endorse Cooper's No Budget, No Pay Act
Dec. 30, 2011 • MSNBC: Cooper Talks about No Budget, No Pay and Why Congress is so Unpopular
Dec. 13, 2011 • Cooper Introduces No Budget, No Pay Act in 112th Congress