“It doesn’t matter whether the budget is irreconcilable or partisan,” McGovern said. “It doesn’t withhold anybody’s pay; it just delays when you get the check.”
The 27th Amendment prohibits Congress from changing member pay until an intervening election has passed, so the bill could not lawfully revoke salaries entirely. The measure instead provides for the pay to be held in escrow until the end of the 113th Congress.
Jonathan Strong and Niels Lesniewski contributed to this story.
Roll Call has launched a new feature, Hill Navigator, to advise congressional staffers and would-be staffers on how to manage workplace issues on Capitol Hill. Please send us your questions — anything from office etiquette, to handling awkward moments, to what happens when the work life gets too personal. Submissions will be treated anonymously.
