Clean Up Congress Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3118 To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit former Members of Congress from lobbying Congress, to prohibit the use of official funds for airline accommodations for Members of Congress which are not coach-class accommodations, and to prohibit a cost-of-living adjustment in the pay rates for Members of Congress during any year following a Federal budget deficit. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 5, 2019 Mrs. AXNE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on the Judi- ciary, and Oversight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently deter- mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit former Members of Congress from lobbying Congress, to prohibit the use of official funds for airline accommodations for Members of Congress which are not coach-class accom- modations, and to prohibit a cost-of-living adjustment in the pay rates for Members of Congress during any year following a Federal budget deficit. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:12 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3118.IH H3118 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 3118 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Clean Up Congress 2 Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. PROHIBITING FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 4 FROM LOBBYING CONGRESS. 5 (a) PROHIBITION.— 6 (1) FORMER SENATORS.—Subparagraph (A) of 7 section 207(e)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is 8 amended by striking ‘‘within 2 years after that per- 9 son leaves office’’ and inserting ‘‘at any time after 10 that person leaves office’’. 11 (2) FORMER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP- 12 RESENTATIVES.—Paragraph (1) of section 207(e) of 13 such title is amended by striking subparagraph (B) 14 and inserting the following: 15 ‘‘(B) MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP- 16 RESENTATIVES.—Any person who is a Member 17 of the House of Representatives and who, at 18 any time after that person leaves office, know- 19 ingly makes, with the intent to influence, any 20 communication to or appearance before any 21 Member, officer, or employee of either House of 22 Congress and any employee of any other legisla- 23 tive office of the Congress, on behalf of any 24 other person (except the United States) in con- 25 nection with any matter on which such former 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:12 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3118.IH H3118 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 3118 IH Member seeks action by a Member, officer, or 1 employee of either House of Congress, in his or 2 her official capacity, shall be punished as pro- 3 vided in section 216 of this title. 4 ‘‘(C) OFFICERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP- 5 RESENTATIVES.—Any person who is an elected 6 officer of the House of Representatives and 7 who, within 1 year after that person leaves of- 8 fice, knowingly makes, with the intent to influ- 9 ence, any communication to or appearance be- 10 fore any Member, officer, or employee of the 11 House of Representatives, on behalf of any 12 other person (except the United States) in con- 13 nection with any matter on which such former 14 elected officer seeks action by a Member, offi- 15 cer, or employee of either House of Congress, in 16 his or her official capacity, shall be punished as 17 provided in section 216 of this title.’’. 18 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 19 this section shall apply with respect to any individual who, 20 on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, leaves 21 an office to which section 207(e)(1) of title 18, United 22 States Code, applies. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:12 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3118.IH H3118 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 3118 IH SEC. 3. PROHIBITING USE OF FUNDS FOR OFFICIAL TRAV- 1 EL EXPENSES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 2 FOR AIRLINE ACCOMMODATIONS OTHER 3 THAN COACH-CLASS. 4 (a) PROHIBITION.— 5 (1) PROHIBITION.—No funds appropriated or 6 otherwise made available during a fiscal year for the 7 official travel expenses of a Member of Congress 8 may be used for airline accommodations which are 9 not coach-class accommodations. 10 (2) COACH-CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS DE- 11 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘coach-class ac- 12 commodations’’ means the basic class of accommo- 13 dation by airlines that is normally the lowest fare of- 14 fered regardless of airline terminology used, and (as 15 referred to by airlines) may include tourist class or 16 economy class, as well as single class when the air- 17 line offers only one class of accommodations to all 18 travelers. 19 (b) REGULATIONS.—The Committee on House Ad- 20 ministration of the House of Representatives (with respect 21 to Representatives in, and Delegates and the Resident 22 Commissioner to, the Congress) and the Committee on 23 Rules and Administration of the Senate (with respect to 24 Senators) shall each promulgate such regulations as may 25 be necessary to carry out this section. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:12 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3118.IH H3118 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 3118 IH (c) MEMBER OF CONGRESS DEFINED.—In this sec- 1 tion, the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a Senator 2 or a Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commis- 3 sioner to, the Congress. 4 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 5 respect to expenses incurred on or after the date of the 6 enactment of this Act. 7 SEC. 4. PROHIBITING ADJUSTMENT IN PAY RATES FOR 8 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN YEAR FOL- 9 LOWING BUDGET DEFICIT. 10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 601(a)(2) of the Legisla- 11 tive Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501(2)) is 12 amended by adding at the end the following: 13 ‘‘(C) An adjustment in rates of pay may be made 14 under this paragraph in a year only if the aggregate out- 15 lays of the United States during the last completed fiscal 16 year did not exceed the aggregate receipts of the United 17 States during such fiscal year, as determined by the Con- 18 gressional Budget Office.’’. 19 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 20 601(a)(2)(A) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 4501(2)(A)) is amend- 21 ed by striking ‘‘Subject to subparagraph (B),’’ and insert- 22 ing ‘‘Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C),’’. 23 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:12 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3118.IH H3118 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS