A bill to repeal the provision of law that provides automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress.

Bill Number: S. 86
Origin Chamber: Senate
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 1
Policy Area: Congress
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2025-01-14: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Last Updated: 2026-03-11T14:52:21Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This bill, S. 86, aims to eliminate automatic pay increases for Members of Congress, requiring any future pay adjustments to be explicitly approved by law rather than happening automatically.

Key Provisions

Repeal of Automatic Adjustments: Removes the specific paragraph in existing law (paragraph (2) of section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946) that ties congressional pay raises to changes in the Employment Cost Index for wages of private industry workers.
Technical Amendments: Updates the structure of the relevant section (2 U.S.C. 4501) by renumbering parts and replacing references to automatic adjustments with language stating that pay must be "adjusted as provided by law."
Effective Date: The changes take effect when the 120th Congress begins, which is typically in January following the next election cycle (after the 119th Congress ends).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Ends the long-standing mechanism for automatic annual pay adjustments for Members of Congress, which has been in place since 1946 and previously allowed raises without a vote unless Congress voted to block them.
Shifts control of pay decisions entirely to legislative action, meaning future increases would require a new law passed by Congress, similar to how other federal employees' pay is sometimes handled.

Potential Impacts

On Government Agencies: Minimal direct impact, though it could indirectly affect morale or recruitment in Congress if pay stagnation occurs during periods of high inflation.
On Citizens: May increase public trust by removing what some view as unearned "automatic raises" for lawmakers, potentially reducing taxpayer costs if pay does not rise automatically. No direct benefits or burdens to individual citizens.
On International Relations: None apparent, as this is a domestic matter concerning U.S. congressional compensation.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Members of Congress: Primary group impacted, as they lose automatic pay protections and must now vote on their own raises, which could lead to political pressure against increases.
Taxpayers and Advocacy Groups: Indirectly affected through potential savings on federal spending and groups focused on government reform or fiscal responsibility may support or oppose based on accountability views.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Legal: Amends a specific statute (2 U.S.C. 4501) without broader effects on other federal pay systems; ensures compliance with requirements for congressional compensation under U.S. law.
Constitutional: Aligns with Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution, which allows Congress to determine its own pay, and the 27th Amendment, which prohibits laws varying congressional compensation from taking effect until after the next election—reinforcing that changes here won't apply retroactively.
Political: Could be seen as a reform measure to address public criticism of congressional perks, potentially influencing elections by signaling fiscal restraint, though it might deter future candidates if pay becomes a contentious issue. The bill's referral to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs suggests focus on internal government operations.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]

Recent Actions

2025-01-14: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
2025-01-14: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

To repeal the provision of law that provides automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress. — issued 2025-01-14 — PDF (2 pages)