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S. 3143 111th Congress Senate

No Pay Raise for Congress Until the Budget is Balanced Act

Official title: A bill to provide that Members of Congress shall not receive a pay increase until the annual Federal budget deficit is eliminated.

Introduced: March 18, 2010 See on congress.gov
Congress Budget deficits and national debtCongressional oversightGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel managementInflation and pricesMembers of Congress
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This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 19, 2010
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 322.
Mar 18, 2010
Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
Mar 18, 2010
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action March 19, 2010

Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 322.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

No Pay Raise for Congress Until the Budget is Balanced Act - Eliminates automatic cost of living adjustments (COLAs) for Members of Congress during FY2011 or any succeeding fiscal year, until the fiscal year following the first fiscal year that the annual federal budget deficit is $0.

Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) determine whether or not the annual federal budget deficit was $0 for that fiscal year, and if so, report that determination to Congress; and (2) report that determination also to the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, as well as whether or not such COLA restriction shall apply to the succeeding fiscal year.

Reduces the statutory limit on the public debt as follows: (1) for FY2011, $13.9 trillion; (2) for FY2012, $13.7 trillion; (3) for FY2013, $13.5 trillion; (4) for FY2014, $12.3 trillion; and (5) for FY2015 and each ensuing fiscal year, $12.1 trillion.

 Related & companion bills 2
  • HR 5146 To provide that Members of Congress shall not receive a cost of living adjustment in pay during fiscal year 2011.
  • S 3158 A bill to require Congress to lead by example and freeze its own pay and fully offset the cost of the extension of unem…
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 3143: No Pay Raise for Congress Until the Budget is Balanced Act. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-3143/
MLA
"S. 3143: No Pay Raise for Congress Until the Budget is Balanced Act." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-3143/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 3143, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-3143/.
Markdown link
[S. 3143: No Pay Raise for Congress Until the Budget is Balanced Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-3143/)
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