H.R. 5637 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned, Sep 30, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryCongress loses pay during government shutdowns
Right now, Members of Congress keep getting paid even when the government shuts down due to a budget standoff. This bill would change that. Starting with the current Congress, lawmakers would not receive paychecks whenever there's a lapse in funding for any federal agency or department—which is what counts as a government shutdown.
How it affects you
This mainly affects Members of Congress themselves. For the average person, it doesn't change how a shutdown works or what services you lose access to. But the idea behind it is to give Congress financial motivation to avoid shutdowns in the first place.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Sep 30, 2025)
No Work, No Pay Act of 2025
This bill prohibits Members of Congress from being paid during a government shutdown, beginning with the 120th Congress. Under the bill, a government shutdown is in effect when there is a lapse in appropriations for any federal agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or a continuing resolution.
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. 5637
A BILL
No Work, No Pay Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-UT-3) · Introduced Sep 30, 2025 · Congress · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 30, 2025: “Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.”