Congress banned from fundraising until federal budget balanced this conservative hero proposes

Members of Congress would be banned from fundraising for their re-election until Congress
balances the federal budget, a Texas Republican congressman proposes.

Congressman Chip Roy’s “No Budget, No Fundraising Act” prohibit Members of Congress from
campaign fundraising until the House and Senate pass a balanced budget and subsequent
balanced spending bills, and they are either signed into law or two-third of the House and Senate
vote to override a presidential veto.

“This legislation would bar Members of Congress and their respective national congressional
campaign committees, which are incumbent protection organizations, from soliciting federal
campaign donations in a given fiscal year until a 10-year balanced budget resolution and annual
appropriations for that fiscal year are in effect,” said Roy.

Roy, a staunch conservative, is one of the few Republicans in Congress who consistently votes
against increased spending, increased taxes or spending and programs not specifically authorized
under the Constitution.

“Inflation is ravaging hardworking Americans’ paychecks, we've got $31 trillion in national
debt, the federal bureaucracy is targeting our freedom on a daily basis, but Congress can't even
pass a proper budget the right way — much less exercise the fiscal restraint necessary to address
those problems,” said Roy.

“However, members of Congress still manage to raise truckloads of money every year to fund
reelection campaigns based on empty promises to fix the dysfunction in Washington, D.C.
According to OpenSecrets, nearly $10 billion is projected to be spent on congressional elections
this cycle alone,” Roy added.

“I wrote this bill to turn that dynamic on its head, specifically by restricting politicians' ability to
fundraise until they do the hard work of balancing the federal budget and passing annual
spending bills to fit that budget. It’s long past time for Congress to do its job, and for its
members to face consequences if they don't,” Roy concluded.

Roy is joined by original cosponsor Congressman Andy Biggs, an Arizona Republican who
challenged Minority Leader Kevin McCarty (R-CA) to lead the incoming Republican majority.
If passed the legislation takes effect in fiscal year 2024, “giving Congress ample time to pass a
balanced budget resolution and annual appropriations bills before the September 30, 2023
deadline,” a statement from Roy’s office reads.

Michael Brigham

Michael Brigham has written for American Action News since the summer of 2019. His areas of expertise include foreign affairs, government, and politics, but regardless of the subject matter, he has a nose and an insatiable appetite for news. In his free time, he enjoys reading nonfiction, watching a mix of comedies and true crime documentaries, and spending time away from the swamp hiking in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.