ANOTHER BILL INTRODUCED: Cut Congressional pay for deficit spending

Learn why @RepRodBlum wants to cut Congressional pay. Retweet

Incentives matter! That’s why the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2016 (HR 4476) requires Congress to balance the budget…

…or take a pay cut!

This bill has been a part of the “Downsize DC Agenda” for about a decade. We worked directly with the office of Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA) to get this bill improved and re-introduced. It was last introduced in 2009, when the Republicans were in the minority. Rep. Blum’s office has been a pleasure to deal with, and you’ll see us directly quoted in their press release.

Under the Fiscal Responsibility Act…

• If Congress produces a budget deficit, the first pay cut is modest.
• Each consecutive year of deficit provokes another larger pay reduction.
• However, upon balancing the budget, their pay is not only restored, but all scheduled raises return.

We were also able to improve this bill in a way DC Downsizers should uniquely appreciate…

In the 2009 version, terrorism-related expenses and military conflicts of 30 days or more — two very broad, loophole-inviting concepts — were excluded from the balanced budget calculation. Now, the only exception is a “formal declaration of war by Congress.” The last time Congress did that was June 5, 1942.

To move this bill forward, we need to take TWO Actions right now.

First, please THANK or Congratulate Rep. Rod Blum for introducing the Fiscal Responsibility Act, either via Twitter and/or Facebook.

• Post a tweet like this… @RepRodBlum Thank you for introducing the Fiscal Responsibility Act and working with @DownsizeDC to promote it. (We’ll both see it!)
• On Rep. Blum’s Facebook page, click Like AND leave a Comment on the post about the Fiscal Responsibility Act. In your own words, tell his office why you think this bill is a great idea. You’ll see our comments there!

Second, ask your Rep to co-sponsor this bill, and your two Senators to introduce it in the Senate. We’ve updated our Fight Deficit Spending campaign, where the hard-wired start of the letter reads…

To fight deficit spending, I want my House Rep to co-sponsor HR 4476 (the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2016), and my Senators to introduce it.

You can copy or edit our sample letter below, or write your own letter…

Incentives matter! That’s why the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2016 (FRA) requires Congress to balance the budget or take a pay cut, and continue to do so each year until they balance the budget. And if they balance it, then all of their pay, including scheduled raises, will be restored.

The FRA would provide wonderful motivation to finally balance the budget, instead of constantly kicking the problem down the road.

Downsize DC’s 2016 is starting off with a bang. Let’s take advantage of this momentum.

And please stay tuned for even MORE exciting news!

Jim Babka & Perry Willis Downsize DC