Right Change: “No Budget, No Pay!”

A group of bi-partisan American citizens has banded together to form the organization No Labels, in an effort to get their government back to work again. The issue at the heart of the movement is the United States Congress and their lack of ability to or interest in passing a balanced budget. It has been over 1100 days since a balanced budget was signed into law and one is not on the horizon. No Labels and their “Make Congress Work” campaign are proposing a very interesting piece of legislation that would hit the House and Senate members where it hurts: their wallet.

The “No Pass, No Pay” idea would essentially cut-off the paychecks of each member of Congress for every day after October 1st (the start of the fiscal year), in which they have not adopted a budget and passed all 12 accompanying spending bills. While the bill is not very popular with each party’s leadership, there are quite a few members of Congress endorsing the radical oversight legislation. 

Dean Heller (R-NV) is the top advocate in the Senate. He paints a clear picture between Congress’ lack of motivation to pass a budget and the problems with the economy:

"I'm trying to help people understand that if you don't have a job it has to do with uncertainties in the markets and it has to do with the fact that Washington, D.C., refuses to do its job, which is to tell people what their tax rates are going to be," Heller said. "You take any other Nevadan or any other American and tell them you don't have to do their job for 1,000 days -- they probably don't keep their job."

This is not just a Republican idea. The House of Representatives top sponsor is Tennessee Democrat Jim Cooper, who says money speaks loudly with his colleagues. 

“A sure solution is to put members’ pay on the line if they don’t start thinking longer-term. We will have engaged the most powerful lobbyists on earth to get it done, namely, our spouses. They have a strong interest in us getting paid.”

No Labels claims 88% of Americans approve of the “No Pass, No Pay” Act. This act is just one of 12 ideas proposed by the group, but it is the one that actually requires a new law be enacted. Other items include requiring Congress to vote on presidential appointments within 90 days, reducing the number of filibusters and restricting Congressional members from signing partisan pledges. 

As of last week, when Keller took the Senate floor and asked for a vote on the act, the bill had 10 co-sponsors in the audience. It had 48 co-sponsors in the House. Governmental Affairs committee member and Maine Senator Susan Collins says she can sympathize with America’s desire to hold Congress accountable, but isn’t sure this act will lead to results. 

What would we expect her to say? Who wants to get their pay suspended? It is this kind of rhetoric that has put us in this position in the first place. Let’s just kick the can down the road again and hope the next group of congressmen and women can pass a budget. No Labels says enough is enough and maybe we should be listening.

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