Scott Opposes No Budget, No Pay Act

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on his opposition to H.R. 325, the so-called "No Budget, No Pay Act":

"Raising the nation's debt ceiling is an acknowledgment of money that past Congresses have already spent. Congress should not continue to jeopardize the full faith and credit of the United States, as we did in 2011, by further delaying a long term debt ceiling increase. Unfortunately, the bill considered today only provides a short term increase in the debt ceiling, prolonging a long term increase, and creates a gimmick that withholds pay for Members of either chamber until they pass a concurrent budget resolution. This is a precedent that should not be set.

"I also doubt that this gimmick would actually force action to pass a concurrent budget resolution. In order to conform to Article I, Section 6 and the 27th Amendment of our Constitution, the bill provides that even if either the House or Senate failed to pass a concurrent budget resolution, the Members of the offending chamber would still receive compensation in the form of a lump sum paycheck at the end of the 113th Congress.

"Instead of debating and passing gimmicks that make for a good sound bite, we should be spending our time passing a long term debt ceiling increase, cancelling the economic disastrous sequester that takes effect on March 1st, funding the federal government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2013, and preparing a budget and appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2014."

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