United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2019
Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2019 This bill modifies the tax treatment of certain alcoholic beverages to exclude the aging period from the production period for beer, wine, or distilled spirits for purposes of determining whether a taxpayer can expense, rather than capitalize, interest costs paid or incurred during the production period; reduce excise tax rates on beer and distilled spirits; permit the transfer of beer between bonded facilities without payment of tax; increase the amount of the small wine producer tax credit and expand the categories of producers covered by such credit; allow an adjustment to the producer credit for hard cider; and modify the alcohol content limitations that apply to certain wines for tax purposes. The Department of the Treasury must amend applicable regulations with respect to the use of wholesome products suitable for human consumption in the production of fermented beverages. The bill also increases funding for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2019
Accountability for Quality VA Healthcare Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address functionality and accountability in regard to its facilities and provision of care. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to carry out a two-year pilot program to enhance the physical security of five selected VA medical facilities. The VA must submit a report that includes its plan and time frame to address specified findings and recommendations of the Government Accountability Office report titled VA Real Property: VA Should Improve Its Efforts to Align Facilities with Veterans' Needs . The bill requires the VA to update its Planning and Activating Community Based Outpatient Clinics handbook at least once every five years to reflect current policies and clarify the responsibilities of VA leasing project personnel. The VA must strengthen its medical facility inspection process and monitor women veterans' access to gender-specific care services under community care contracts, including appointment scheduling and completion times. Finally, the bill requires the VA to (1) clarify measures for medical appointment wait times in a manner that reduces the likelihood of misinterpretation, (2) ensure that patient indicated date (the earliest date the patient needs to be seen) is clearly defined for purposes of Veterans Health Administration scheduling and related training documents, (3) improve recruitment and retention of scheduling staff and require facilities to routinely assess scheduling and resource needs, and (4) improve telephone access at its medical facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2019
Promoting Internet Freedom and Innovation Act of 2019 This bill establishes transparency requirements for a provider of broadband internet service and prohibits a provider from taking certain actions to restrict content. Specifically, the bill requires a broadband internet provider to disclose accurate management practices, performance information, and commercial terms sufficient for consumers to make informed choices and for entrepreneurs and small businesses to develop, market, and maintain new internet offerings. Additionally a provider is barred from (1) blocking lawful content, applications, or services; (2) prohibiting the use of non-harmful devices; (3) throttling lawful internet traffic; or (4) engaging in paid prioritization.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2019
Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 This bill increases the per-country cap on family-based immigrant visas from 7% of the total number of such visas available that year to 15%, and eliminates the 7% cap for employment-based immigrant visas. It also removes an offset that reduced the number of visas for individuals from China. The bill also establishes transition rules for employment-based visas from FY2020-FY2022, by reserving a percentage of EB-2 (workers with advanced degrees or exceptional ability), EB-3 (skilled and other workers), and EB-5 (investors) visas for individuals not from the two countries with the largest number of recipients of such visas. Of the unreserved visas, not more than 85% shall be allotted to immigrants from any single country.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2019
Employer Participation in Repayment Act of 2019 This bill expands the tax exclusion for employer-provided educational assistance to include payments of qualified education loans by an employer to either an employee or a lender.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2019
Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act This bill establishes additional requirements for prescription drug plan sponsors (PDPs) under Medicare and Medicare Advantage, as well as health insurance carriers under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, relating to the methodology of payments to pharmacies and the use of pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs). Specifically, such PDPs and carriers must disclose specified information to pharmacies regarding applicable standards for reimbursement that are based on drug costs, including the sources used to update such standards. Additionally, such PDPs and carriers may not contract with PBMs that require, or that provide an incentive for, plan enrollees to use pharmacies that have a shared ownership interest with the PBM.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2019
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act This bill establishes requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must exercise in the event a child is born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion. A health care practitioner who is present must (1) exercise the same degree of care as reasonably provided to another child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) immediately admit the child to a hospital. The bill also requires a health care practitioner or other employee to immediately report any failure to comply with this requirement to law enforcement. A person who violates the requirements is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. Additionally, an individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive is subject to prosecution for murder. The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive for conspiracy to violate these provisions, for being an accessory after the fact, or for concealment of felony. A woman who undergoes an abortion or attempted abortion may file a civil action for damages against an individual who violates this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2019
Veteran Treatment Court Coordination Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Justice to establish a Veterans Treatment Court Program to provide grants and technical assistance for state, local, and tribal governments to develop and maintain veterans treatment courts.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2019
School Resource Officer Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through FY2023 the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program and modifies it: to restore authority to make COPS grants for hiring and rehiring additional career law enforcement officers, and to specify that at least 30% of the amount made available for such grants must be used for school resource officers.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2019
Servicemember Retirement Improvement Act This bill allows members of the Ready Reserve of a reserve component of the Armed Forces to make the maximum allowable contribution ($19,500 in 2020) to their Thrift Savings Plans (TSPs) without limiting the amount such members may contribute to a retirement plan based upon other employment. The bill also doubles the maximum allowable contribution amount to the TSPs of federal employees in the Ready Reserve who are not eligible to make contributions to any plan other than the TSP.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2019
Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a Joint Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Task Force, which shall provide recommendations to Congress and DHS on the development and implementation of a national strategy for preventing targeted violence through behavioral threat assessment and management. The bill defines behavioral threat assessment and management as the systematic and evidence-based process of (1) identifying individuals whose behavior indicates a capacity for committing acts of violence, (2) investigating and gathering information from multiple sources to assess whether such individuals pose a threat, and (3) the subsequent management of such a threat. DHS shall (1) develop and implement the national strategy and provide information and training services related to it, and (2) award grants to establish community based units for implementing the national strategy.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2019
Chronic Wasting Disease Transmission in Cervidae Study Act This bill requires the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the U.S. Geological Survey to contract the National Academy of Sciences to study the predominant pathways and mechanisms of the transmission of chronic wasting disease in wild, captive, and farmed populations of deer, elk, reindeer, and moose populations in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2019
Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act of 2019 This bill requires federally funded entities to certify that they will not perform, and will not provide funds to any other entity that performs, an abortion, except in cases of rape or incest or where a physical condition endangers the woman's life unless an abortion is performed.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2019
Water and Agriculture Tax Reform Act of 201 9 This bill permits tax-exempt mutual ditch or irrigation companies to earn income from dispositions of certain property and stock interests without affecting their tax-exempt status, but requires that such income be used to pay the costs of operations, maintenance, and capital improvements of such a company. The bill also establishes a rule regarding the organizational governance of mutual ditch or irrigation companies. Where state law provides that such a company may be organized in a manner that permits voting on a basis that is pro rata to share ownership on corporate governance matters, the tax-exempt status of the mutual ditch or irrigation company must be determined without taking into account whether its member shareholders have one vote on corporate governance matters per share held in the corporation.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2019
Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 201 9 This bill repeals the excise tax on employer-sponsored health care coverage for which there is an excess benefit (high-cost plans). The repeal applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2019
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act This bill establishes a new criminal offense for performing or attempting to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus is 20 weeks or more. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. The bill provides exceptions for an abortion (1) that is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. A physician who performs or attempts to perform an abortion under an exception must comply with specified requirements. A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2019
Pay Our TSA Screeners Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to use security service fees to pay Transportation Security Officer salaries during a lapse in appropriations for the TSA. The TSA must notify Congress when using the authority provided by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2019
Pre-existing Conditions Protection Act of 2019 This bill reestablishes requirements for private health insurance plans with respect to preexisting conditions, guaranteed enrollment, and discrimination based on health-related factors if they are repealed by another law. In such event, the bill prohibits private health insurance plans from (1) limiting or excluding benefits covering preexisting conditions; (2) denying enrollment to employers or individual applicants, subject to specified limits; (3) establishing rules for eligibility based on an individual's health status; or (4) requiring an individual to a pay higher premium than similarly situated individuals enrolled in the plan based the individual's health status. The bill also prohibits plans from collecting genetic information in connection with issuing health insurance and provides requirements for workplace wellness programs connected to health insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2019
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take a series of actions relating to palliative-care training. Specifically, HHS must provide support for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. The centers must improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced-education nursing degrees, social-work degrees, or advanced degrees in physician-assistant studies in palliative care. HHS may provide support to medical schools, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical-education programs for training physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. HHS must (1) provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to individuals to promote their career development, (2) support entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center, (3) support individuals in specified fields who are pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields, and (4) award grants to nursing programs to train individuals in providing palliative care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must provide for a national education and awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care. The National Institutes of Health must expand national research programs in palliative care.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2019
Burn Pits Accountability Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the military departments to evaluate whether each member of the Armed Forces has been (1) based or stationed where an open air burn pit was used to dispose of waste, or (2) exposed to toxic airborne chemicals. Members located where an open burn pit was used or exposed to toxic airborne chemicals must be enrolled in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, unless the member elects not to enroll. The evaluations must be included in periodic health assessments, physical exams conducted immediately prior to separation from active duty, and deployment assessments. DOD must share the results of the evaluations with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2019
Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act of 2019 This bill requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allow an individual to possess a firearm at a Corps water resources development project as long as the individual's possession of the firearm is in compliance with federal and state law.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2019
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2019 This bill modifies provisions relating to federal funding for, and health insurance coverage of, abortions. Specifically, the bill prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions or for health coverage that includes abortions. Such restrictions extend to the use of funds in the budget of the District of Columbia. Additionally, abortions may not be provided in a federal health care facility or by a federal employee. Historically, language has been included in annual appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions—such language is commonly referred to as the Hyde Amendment. Similar language is also frequently included in appropriations bills for other federal agencies and the District of Columbia. The bill makes these restrictions permanent and extends the restrictions to all federal funds (rather than specific agencies). The bill's restrictions regarding the use of federal funds do not apply in cases of rape, incest, or where a physical disorder, injury, or illness endangers a woman's life unless an abortion is performed. The Hyde Amendment provides the same exceptions. The bill also prohibits qualified health plans from including coverage for abortions. Currently, qualified health plans may cover abortion, but the portion of the premium attributable to abortion coverage is not eligible for subsidies.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2019
This resolution acknowledges the importance of the U.S.-Egypt partnership and Egypt's role in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. It also urges the Egyptian government to enact serious and legitimate reforms to ensure that Coptic Christians have the same rights and opportunities as other Egyptian citizens, and to take steps to end the culture of impunity for attacks on Christians.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2019
Life at Conception Act This bill declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual comes into being. Nothing in this bill shall be construed to authorize the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2019
Fix the Immigration Loopholes Act This bill modifies immigration law provisions relating to unaccompanied alien minors and to asylum seekers. For certain unaccompanied inadmissible alien children, generally those not at risk of being trafficking victims nor having a fear of persecution, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall repatriate the child. Currently, only inadmissible unaccompanied aliens from neighboring countries are subject to repatriation, and DHS has discretion whether to repatriate. When HHS releases an unaccompanied child to an individual, it shall provide DHS with certain information about that individual, including Social Security number and immigration status. The bill amends the definition of "credible fear of persecution" to require that such fear can be established by statements that are more probable than not. The bill also imposes certain rules relating to credible fear interviews, including requirements for recordings and interpreters. If an alien is granted asylum because of fear of persecution in a country, the alien is deemed to have renounced asylum status by returning to that country, if there has been no change in the country's conditions. DHS may waive such renunciation if there was a compelling reason for the return. The bill expands the definition of a frivolous asylum application to include an application so insufficient in substance that it is clear that it was filed to delay removal or seek employment authorization. Any individual who knowingly and willfully makes materially false statements or uses fraudulent documents in asylum-related proceedings shall be fined or imprisoned up to 10 years, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2019
Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act This bill updates the Department of Defense's Survivor Benefit Plan and how it operates in relation to other benefits. The plan currently provides a monthly annuity (based on a percentage of a service member's retirement pay) to an eligible beneficiary upon the death of the service member. Currently, if a surviving spouse is also entitled to dependency and indemnity compensation, the annuity paid under the plan will be reduced. The bill repeals certain provisions that require the offset of the plan annuity from amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation. Under current law, upon the request of the surviving spouse, the military branch concerned is authorized to pay an annuity to the member's dependent children instead of to the surviving spouse. The bill restores the annuity to an eligible spouse who previously elected to transfer payment to a dependent child.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2019
Veterans' Agricultural Apprenticeship Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a program to make direct loans to farmers and ranchers who will provide mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities for veterans who have not previously operated a farm or ranch.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2019
Protection and Transparency for Adjacent Landowners Act This bill amends the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to instruct the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide advance written notification to each owner of land that is adjacent to a parcel acquired to become public lands or National Forest System (NFS) lands. Interior or USDA must provide advance written notification to each owner of land that is adjacent to a parcel of public lands or NFS lands to be conveyed by sale, exchange, or other disposal method. The Bureau of Land Management, before commencing a resurvey of federal land under its administrative jurisdiction, must notify all property owners who have land abutting or adjacent to the land being resurveyed.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2019
Water Rights Protection Act of 2019 This bill prohibits the Departments of the Interior or Agriculture from conditioning the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of any permit, approval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement on the transfer of any water right to the United States or on any impairment of title or interest granted or otherwise recognized under state law by federal or state action; or requiring any water user (including a federally recognized Indian tribe) to apply for or acquire a water right in the name of the United States under state law as a condition of the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of such a permit. In developing any rule or similar federal action relating to the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of any permit, such departments (1) shall recognize the longstanding water use authority of the states and coordinate with the states to ensure that any federal action is consistent with applicable state water law, and (2) shall not adversely affect the authority of a state in permitting the beneficial use of water or adjudicating water rights.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2019
Federally Integrated Species Health Act or the FISH Act This bill gives the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) the sole authority to protect endangered or threatened species that are anadromous species (species of fish that spawn in fresh or estuarine waters and that migrate to ocean waters) or catadromous species (species of fish that spawn in ocean waters and migrate to fresh waters). Currently, the FWS shares this authority with the National Marine Fisheries Service.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2019
Bureau of Reclamation Pumped Storage Hydropower Development Act This bill revises requirements governing the development of certain hydropower projects by nonfederal entities at reservoirs administered by the Bureau of Reclamation. Under current law, those hydropower developments may be governed by requirements of Reclamation or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. This bill gives Reclamation the sole authority to oversee the development of pumped storage hydropower by the nonfederal entities if the development exclusively utilizes Reclamation's reservoirs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2019
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 770 Ayrault Road in Fairport, New York, as the "Louise and Bob Slaughter Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2019
Superior National Forest Land Exchange Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA), if the PolyMet Mining Corporation, Inc., offers to convey 6,690 acres of non-federal land within the Superior National Forest in St. Louis County and Lake County in Minnesota, to accept the offer and, in exchange, convey 6,650 acres of National Forest System land within the forest to PolyMet. The United States shall reserve the mineral rights on 181 acres of such federal land parcel. PolyMet shall waive any payment otherwise owed to it by the United States to equalize the values of the exchanged lands. Upon conveyance, the non-federal lands shall become part of the forest and be managed in a manner consistent with the land and resource management plan applicable to adjacent federally owned lands in the forest. Upon conveyance, the federal land shall: (1) become private land and be made available for any lawful use in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations that pertain to mining and other uses of land in private ownership; and (2) be withdrawn from appropriation and disposal under public land laws and under laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2019
DHS Field Engagement Accountability Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and update at least once every five years a strategy for DHS engagement with fusion centers. The term "fusion center" means a collaborative effort of two or more government agencies that combines resources, expertise, or information to maximize the ability of such agencies to detect, prevent, investigate, apprehend, and respond to criminal or terrorist activity. The Office of Intelligence and Analysis of DHS shall provide personnel and support to fusion centers, publish performance metrics for DHS field personnel assigned to fusion centers, and develop and implement training for fusion center personnel. DHS intelligence and information components shall develop policies and metrics to ensure effective use of the unclassified Homeland Security Information Sharing Network and shall assess and implement enhancements to improve such network.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2019
Armed Services Always Paid Act or ASAP Act This bill provides funding to continue the pay and allowances of members of the Armed Forces, including reserve personnel, during any period of lapsed appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2019
Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act of 2019 or the BRACE Act of 2019 This bill permanently extends the tax credit for railroad track maintenance. The extension applies to expenditures paid or incurred during tax years beginning after 2017. Assignments of miles of railroad track, including related expenditures, for tax years ending after 2017 must be treated as timely if they are made pursuant to a written agreement entered into within 90 days of the enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2019
Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 350,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher tragically killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. The design of the coins shall bear an image and the name of Christa McAuliffe on the obverse side and a design on the reverse side that depicts the legacy of McAuliffe as a teacher. Treasury may issue the coins from January 1-December 31, 2020. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of the coins shall be paid to the FIRST robotics program for the purpose of engaging and inspiring young people, through mentor-based programs, to become leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2019
Connect America Fund Accountability Act of 2019 This bill requires a telecommunications company receiving assistance through the Connect America Fund to report its methods of performance testing and to include a speed and latency report listing customer locations tested more than twice annually.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2019
Continuing Coverage for Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019 This bill establishes severability between provisions relating to the requirement to maintain minimum essential health care coverage (i.e., the individual mandate) and other provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Specifically, the bill provides that if the individual mandate is found to be illegal or incapable of being enforced, such findings do not affect the validity of other provisions relating to (1) the availability and renewability of coverage, or (2) the prohibitions against discriminatory coverage practices based on preexisting conditions or health status.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2019
Pay Our Protectors Act This bill provides appropriations to pay the salaries and expenses of certain federal employees who are working during the lapse in appropriations that began on or about December 22, 2018, and resulted in a partial government shutdown. The bill applies to employees of the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, and the E-Verify program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2019
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should ensure that the U.S. Postal Service is not privatized and remains an independent establishment of the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2019
This bill directs the Bureau of Reclamation to convey to Kennewick Irrigation District, located in Benton County, Washington, certain canals, laterals, and appurtenant works and lands, which begin at the district's head gate and extend 40 miles east to the Columbia River.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2019
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 This bill addresses certain health benefit and home loan programs for veterans. Specifically, the bill extends the presumption of service-connection for certain diseases associated with herbicide (e.g., Agent Orange) exposure to veterans who served (1) offshore of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, or (2) in or near the Korean Demilitarized Zone between September 1, 1967, and August 31, 1971. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific disabilities or diseases diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded. The bill extends eligibility for health care, vocational training and rehabilitation, and monetary allowance to children with spina bifida who have at least one veteran parent who may have been exposed to an herbicide agent while serving in Thailand between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975. Additionally, the bill revises the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan guaranty program to adjust loan fee rates and eliminate the limit on the amount of a loan for which the VA may provide a guaranty of 25%. Under current law, these loan guarantees are subject to a limit on loan size determined by Freddie Mac. The bill also waives loan fees for active duty Purple Heart recipients. The VA shall permit a VA-approved appraiser to make a housing loan appraisal based solely on information gathered by a person with whom the appraiser has entered into an agreement for such services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2019
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting total outlays for a fiscal year from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year unless Congress authorizes the excess by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber. The prohibition excludes outlays for repayment of debt principal and receipts derived from borrowing. The amendment requires roll call votes of (1) three-fifths of each chamber of Congress to increase the public debt limit, and (2) a majority of each chamber for legislation increasing revenue. It also requires the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Congress is authorized to waive these requirements when a declaration of war is in effect or if the United States is engaged in a military conflict which causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Hold Congress Accountable Act This bill provides for withholding or eliminating the pay of Members of Congress during a government shutdown. Through the day of the general election in November 2020, the bill requires the salaries of Members to be held in escrow during a government shutdown and to be released on the last day of the 116th Congress. After the general election in November 2020, the bill eliminates the pay of Members for the period of a government shutdown.
![Official portrait of Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_wa_4_newhouse_dan_200.jpg)