Barrow Seeks to Change 27th Amendment to Cut Member Pay
On March 6 U.S. Congressman John Barrow (GA-12) introduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, H.J. Res 33, to allow Members of Congress to cut their pay at any given time. Under this amendment, Congress may reduce their compensation immediately upon enactment of a salary reduction law. The 27th amendment currently prevents members from “varying” their pay, preventing a salary reduction.
News from Congressman Barrow
“Folks in Washington hide behind the 27th Amendment as a way to keep their salaries, so let’s fix it,” said Congressman Barrow. “Congress has a long history of failing to do its job, most recently in an effort to find responsible spending cuts to avoid the sequester which will cause hundreds of thousands of employees to be furloughed. When folks in Georgia and across the country don’t do their job, they’re penalized. Members of Congress should be held to the same standard.”
Currently, under the 27th Amendment, any increase or decrease in a Member’s compensation may not take effect until a new session of Congress begins. This bill changes the language to only prohibit a pay increase from happening immediately, thus allowing Members of Congress to vote themselves an immediate pay cut.
Upon enactment, this legislation would allow Congress to pass a legitimate “No Budget, No Pay” that requires Congress to pass, and the President to sign, a federal budget each year. Earlier this year, legislation was signed into law that only temporarily withheld a Members pay, with the 27th Amendment being cited as the main reason for ultimately compensating Members.
Barrow, Energy and Commerce Members Outline Bipartisan Solution to Build Keystone XL Pipeline
On March 8 Congressman Barrow (D-GA), a member of the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee, joined a bipartisan effort in outlining a path forward on the Keystone XL Pipeline. Led by Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE), the discussion draft of the legislation will remove the project’s fate from the president and clear away the roadblocks preventing construction of the pipeline. Congressman Barrow joined Congressman Terry, Congressman Jim Matheson (D-UT), House E&C Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) in the proposal.
The draft legislation will eliminate the need for a Presidential Permit and find that the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) issued by the Secretary of State on August 26, 2011, shall satisfy all NEPA requirements. The legislation also limits the legal challenges that can be brought against the project to prevent further unnecessary delays.
The Keystone XL pipeline is a $7 billion jobs and energy infrastructure project that has been tied up in regulatory review for over four years. Last week, the State Department released its draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), which found that the pipeline, including the revised Nebraska route, would have limited adverse environmental impacts. This review follows the State Department’s initial analysis that lasted for more than three years and found the pipeline to be environmentally sound.
“It’s been over four years and thousands of pages of environmental reviews. The experts have weighed in. Now is the time to build the Keystone Pipeline,” said Terry. “If we see further delays as we have in the past; Congress is ready to act. This discussion draft is part of that process.”
Energy and Commerce Democrats Jim Matheson (D-UT) and John Barrow (D-GA) partnered with Rep. Terry to co-author the legislation that would allow construction of the pipeline to move forward.
“Construction of the Keystone XL pipeline is long overdue. This project creates thousands of high-paying, high-skilled jobs, and puts America on a long-term path to energy independence,” said Barrow and Matheson. “Multiple reviews by the Obama Administration indicate that this pipeline will have no significant environmental impacts. This delay is just playing politics with American jobs and American energy security, and it’s time to move forward with construction of the pipeline.”
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) were also co-authors of the bill and committed to moving the bipartisan solution through the committee.
“Rep. Terry has been a leading champion for Keystone in the House and he will continue to carry the torch as we work to stop the administration’s delays and get this pipeline built. We have already waited four years for this pipeline, and without congressional action, we can expect the waiting to continue,” said Upton and Whitfield. “We should learn from our experience with the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and act swiftly to move this legislation through the committee and through the House so we can stop waiting and start building and get folks back to work.”
Last Congress, the House successfully passed Congressman Barrow’s Motion to Instruct conferees on the Transportation and Infrastructure Reauthorization Bill to insist upon approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The motion passed the House by a vote of 261 – 152.
Currently, under the 27th Amendment, any increase or decrease in a Member’s compensation may not take effect until a new session of Congress begins. This bill changes the language to only prohibit a pay increase from happening immediately, thus allowing Members of Congress to vote themselves an immediate pay cut.
Upon enactment, this legislation would allow Congress to pass a legitimate “No Budget, No Pay” that requires Congress to pass, and the President to sign, a federal budget each year. Earlier this year, legislation was signed into law that only temporarily withheld a Members pay, with the 27th Amendment being cited as the main reason for ultimately compensating Members.
Barrow, Energy and Commerce Members Outline Bipartisan Solution to Build Keystone XL Pipeline
On March 8 Congressman Barrow (D-GA), a member of the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee, joined a bipartisan effort in outlining a path forward on the Keystone XL Pipeline. Led by Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE), the discussion draft of the legislation will remove the project’s fate from the president and clear away the roadblocks preventing construction of the pipeline. Congressman Barrow joined Congressman Terry, Congressman Jim Matheson (D-UT), House E&C Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) in the proposal.
The draft legislation will eliminate the need for a Presidential Permit and find that the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) issued by the Secretary of State on August 26, 2011, shall satisfy all NEPA requirements. The legislation also limits the legal challenges that can be brought against the project to prevent further unnecessary delays.
The Keystone XL pipeline is a $7 billion jobs and energy infrastructure project that has been tied up in regulatory review for over four years. Last week, the State Department released its draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), which found that the pipeline, including the revised Nebraska route, would have limited adverse environmental impacts. This review follows the State Department’s initial analysis that lasted for more than three years and found the pipeline to be environmentally sound.
“It’s been over four years and thousands of pages of environmental reviews. The experts have weighed in. Now is the time to build the Keystone Pipeline,” said Terry. “If we see further delays as we have in the past; Congress is ready to act. This discussion draft is part of that process.”
Energy and Commerce Democrats Jim Matheson (D-UT) and John Barrow (D-GA) partnered with Rep. Terry to co-author the legislation that would allow construction of the pipeline to move forward.
“Construction of the Keystone XL pipeline is long overdue. This project creates thousands of high-paying, high-skilled jobs, and puts America on a long-term path to energy independence,” said Barrow and Matheson. “Multiple reviews by the Obama Administration indicate that this pipeline will have no significant environmental impacts. This delay is just playing politics with American jobs and American energy security, and it’s time to move forward with construction of the pipeline.”
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) were also co-authors of the bill and committed to moving the bipartisan solution through the committee.
“Rep. Terry has been a leading champion for Keystone in the House and he will continue to carry the torch as we work to stop the administration’s delays and get this pipeline built. We have already waited four years for this pipeline, and without congressional action, we can expect the waiting to continue,” said Upton and Whitfield. “We should learn from our experience with the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and act swiftly to move this legislation through the committee and through the House so we can stop waiting and start building and get folks back to work.”
Last Congress, the House successfully passed Congressman Barrow’s Motion to Instruct conferees on the Transportation and Infrastructure Reauthorization Bill to insist upon approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The motion passed the House by a vote of 261 – 152.
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