PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Sep 30, 2025
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that prohibits Members of Congress from receiving compensation for any period during which a government shutdown is in effect. Under the amendment, a government shutdown is considered to be in effect if 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.
People & committees
Rep. Norman, Ralph [R-SC-5] · R–SC
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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Analyze H.J.Res.128 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-09-30 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would bar Representatives and Senators from receiving compensation for periods of a federal government shutdown. It would apply even when funding lapses at just one federal agency or department. The proposal would become part of the Constitution only if three-fourths of state legislatures ratify it within seven years after submission for ratification.
A Representative or Senator may not receive compensation with respect to any period during which a Government shutdown is in effect.
a Government shutdown shall be considered to be in effect if 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 continuing resolution.
which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification
The proposed compensation prohibition covers both Representatives and Senators and applies to compensation for any period when a government shutdown is in effect.
A Representative or Senator may not receive compensation with respect to any period during which a Government shutdown is in effect.
The proposal defines a shutdown as a lapse in legally authorized funding for any federal agency or department caused by failure to enact a regular funding bill or a continuing resolution—a measure that continues government funding.
For purposes of this article, a Government shutdown shall be considered to be in effect if 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 continuing resolution.
This is a proposed constitutional amendment, not an ordinary statute. Its ratification condition requires approval by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states within seven years after submission for ratification. That deadline governs ratification, rather than how long the amendment would operate.
That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification
The amendment would give Congress authority to pass appropriate laws to enforce it. This language grants authority; it does not require Congress to enact a particular enforcement law.
Congress shall have the power to enforce this article through appropriate legislation.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated December 5, 2025, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on the Judiciary on September 30, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2025-12-05T21:27:08Z. 2025-09-30: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. 2025-09-30: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-09-30. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; accompanying earmark materials were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No narrow preferential benefit, special exemption, or carve-out was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Dec 5, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI