House Report: Meaning what you say- an elected official declines his paycheck

One of the most common sentiments I hear from Iowans is Washington does not play by the same set of rules as the rest of us. Iowans, like most folks, just want fairness and accountability. That is the primary reason I ran for Congress, to hold the federal government accountable.The first piece of legislation I introduced as a member of Congress – H.Res.250 – notes “Congress should pass no law that would exempt from its obligations or provide any other special consideration to elected or appointed federal officials or any other federal employee.” It highlights the need for fairness and accountability in government to defend the basic principle of our great nation. No one, regardless of elected or appointed position, is above the law.In Iowa, we also know if you don’t do your job, you don’t get paid. I believe Congress should be held to the same basic standard.Budget requirementBy law, Congress is required to pass a budget by April 15 each year. As you may know, this requirement has often been ignored.Federal spending continues at an unsustainable rate, snowballing into a dangerous environment threatening jobs, economic growth, and opportunity, and leaving us $19 trillion in debt. We know that the federal government must begin to make the tough decisions now and operate within its means, as American families must do. And, we need to act now, instead of ignoring this problem and leaving it for our children and grandchildren to solve.Over the past 16 months I have twice cosponsored legislation commonly referred to as “No Budget, No Pay” (H.R. 4814). The bill simply states if either chamber of Congress fails to meet its legal requirement to pass a budget by April 15, its members don’t get paid until they do.This same No Budget, No Pay language was included in the budget resolution I, and the majority of members, voted to approve in March of 2015.Because the U.S. House of Representatives missed this important deadline last week, I have sent a letter to the House chief administrative officer requesting that my pay be withheld from April 16, 2016, until the House agrees to a budget resolution or the last day of the 114th Congress, just as is called for in the No Budget, No Pay language I supported with my vote and co-sponsorship.I have made this decision because it is the right thing to do.Washington is inefficient, ineffective and unaccountable. And, even though we hear about reforms that change the way we do business, business as usual wins out far too often in Washington.I am upholding the basic, common sense principle to “do what you say you mean – and mean what you say.”I fully support the intent of No Budget, No Pay. I have cosponsored legislation requiring it. I have voted for a policy statement requiring it. Therefore I will hold myself to the standards of this legislation.Congress needs to deliver on our basic responsibility to pass a budget. It’s good governance. It’s common sense. It’s the job we were sent here to do. It’s the law.As a member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, one of my top priorities is to protect Iowans’ hard earned dollars - by fighting the size, scope and cost of the federal government. I am also committed to support a budget that balances, holds the line on spending, doesn’t raise taxes, and makes the federal government more transparent, efficient, effective, and accountable for all Iowans. It is imperative we make the tough decisions now in order to address the problems our country faces. We must leave our children and grandchildren an America even better than the one we inherited, and it starts with a budget to tackle our mounting debt and get our economy and country back on track.My priority as your voice and vote in Congress will always be to fight for you, the folks I represent. And I want you to know I will always stand by my word and the values we share. I’m honored to represent you and uphold my commitment as I fight for our Iowa values and common sense each and every day.