H.R. 5305 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on House Administration, Sep 11, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryUnused House office funds go to debt reduction
Members of the House of Representatives get an annual allowance called the MRA to run their offices. Any money left over at the end of the year currently goes toward reducing the federal deficit or debt, based on temporary provisions in spending bills. This bill makes that requirement permanent, so unused MRA funds will always go to deficit or debt reduction rather than being returned to offices or carried over.
How it affects you
This change doesn't directly affect most Americans day-to-day. It's a procedural rule about how House offices manage their budgets. The idea behind it is that any taxpayer money not spent gets redirected to help pay down the national debt instead of sitting unused.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Sep 11, 2025)
Congressional Money Returned to America Act or the Congressional MRA Act
This bill requires funds that were provided to House offices for the Members' Representational Allowance (MRA) and remain in the MRA account after all payments for the year are made to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit or debt reduction.
The MRA is an allowance that Members of the House of Representatives receive each year to operate their offices. It must be used to support official and representational duties and may not be used for personal or campaign purposes.
Annual appropriations acts that fund the legislative branch have generally included a provision that requires unused amounts remaining in the MRA to be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the federal debt. This bill makes this requirement permanent.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 5305
A BILL
Congressional MRA Act
Sponsor: Rep. Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX-19) · Introduced Sep 11, 2025 · Congress · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 11, 2025: “Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.”