S.1981 / 112th Congress

No Budget, No Pay Act

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hearings held.

Congressional Research Service

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Dec 13, 2011

No Budget, No Pay Act - Prohibits the payment of any pay to any Member of Congress (excluding the Vice President): (1) if both houses of Congress have not approved a concurrent resolution on the budget for a fiscal year before October 1 of that fiscal year and have not passed all the regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year by such date, or (2) until both houses of Congress approve such a budget resolution and pass all such appropriations bills. Prohibits any retroactive pay for such a period.

Read the summary on Congress.gov

PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

People & committees

Who introduced it

Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV] · R–NV

Committees

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

13 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Legislative record

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

Mar 14, 2012
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hearings held.
Dec 13, 2011
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Dec 13, 2011
Introduced in Senate

Primary sources

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Introduced in Senate · Dec 13, 2011 Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

HR 3643 · No Budget, No Pay Act

Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

AI Conversation Starters

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.1981 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.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.1981, 112th Congress: No Budget, No Pay Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-bill/1981

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2011-12-13.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/112/bills/s1981/BILLS-112s1981is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-12-05T15:07:58Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Analyze S.1981 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.

Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.1981 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.1981, 112th Congress: No Budget, No Pay Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-bill/1981

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2011-12-13.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/112/bills/s1981/BILLS-112s1981is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-12-05T15:07:58Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.1981 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.1981 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.1981, 112th Congress: No Budget, No Pay Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-bill/1981

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2011-12-13.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/112/bills/s1981/BILLS-112s1981is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-12-05T15:07:58Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.1981 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.1981 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.1981, 112th Congress: No Budget, No Pay Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-bill/1981

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2011-12-13.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/112/bills/s1981/BILLS-112s1981is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-12-05T15:07:58Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.1981 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.