[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9735 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9735
To amend title 31 of the United States Code and the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974 to automatically increase the debt limit for the
fiscal year of a budget resolution, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 20, 2024
Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Huizenga) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to
the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, for a period to be
subsequently determined 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 31 of the United States Code and the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974 to automatically increase the debt limit for the
fiscal year of a budget resolution, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Responsible Budgeting Act''.
SEC. 2. PRESIDENTIAL REQUEST TO INCREASE THE DEBT LIMIT.
(a) In General.--Title 31, United States Code, is amended by
striking section 3101A and inserting the following:
``Sec. 3101A. Modification of statutory limit on the public debt
``(a) In General.--Upon adoption by Congress of a concurrent
resolution on the budget under section 301 or 304 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632, 634) that satisfies the required
ratio, as determined by the Congressional Budget Office, the Clerk of
the House of Representatives shall prepare an engrossment of a joint
resolution in the form prescribed in subsection (b) increasing the
statutory limit on the public debt to the amount of debt subject to
limit specified by such concurrent resolution. Upon engrossment of the
joint resolution, the vote by which the concurrent resolution on the
budget was adopted by the House of Representatives shall also be
considered as a vote on passage of the joint resolution in the House of
Representatives, and the joint resolution shall be considered as passed
by the House of Representatives and duly certified and examined. The
engrossed copy shall be signed by the Clerk of the House of
Representatives and transmitted to the Senate. Upon receipt of the
House of Representatives joint resolution in the Senate, the vote by
which the concurrent resolution on the budget was adopted in the Senate
shall also be considered as a vote on passage of the joint resolution
in the Senate, and the joint resolution shall be considered as passed
by the Senate, duly certified and examined, and transmitted to the
House of Representatives for enrollment.
``(b) Form of Joint Resolution.--The form of the joint resolution
described in this subsection is a joint resolution--
``(1) which does not have a preamble;
``(2) the title of which is only as follows: `Joint
resolution increasing the debt limit, as prepared under section
3101A of title 31, United States Code, on ______' (with the
blank containing the date on which the joint resolution is
prepared); and
``(3) the matter after the resolving clause which is only
as follows: `The limitation under section 3101(b) of title 31,
United States Code, is increased by $___' (with the blank being
filled with the increase, expressed as a dollar amount, of the
debt subject to limit, as determined under subsection (c)).
``(c) Determination.--The dollar amount under subsection (b)(3)
shall be equal to the amount necessary to increase the total debt
subject to limit on the date of enactment of such joint resolution to
the amount that such limit is estimated to be on the last day of the
budget year covered by the applicable concurrent resolution on the
budget.
``(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed as limiting or otherwise affecting--
``(1) the power of the House of Representatives or the
Senate to consider and pass bills or joint resolutions, without
regard to the procedures under subsection (a), that would
change the statutory limit on the public debt; or
``(2) the rights of Members, Delegates, the Resident
Commissioner, or committees with respect to the introduction,
consideration, and reporting of such bills or joint
resolutions.
``(e) Definitions.--In this section and section 3101B--
``(1) the term `required ratio' means the ratio that
reduces by not less than 5 percentage points the projected
ratio under current law of debt held by the public to Gross
Domestic Product in the tenth fiscal year after the current
fiscal year; and
``(2) the term `statutory limit on the public debt' means
the maximum face amount of obligations issued under authority
of this chapter and obligations guaranteed as to principal and
interest by the United States (except such guaranteed
obligations as may be held by the Secretary of the Treasury),
as determined under section 3101(b) after the application of
section 3101(a), that may be outstanding at any one time.
``Sec. 3101B. Presidential modification of the debt ceiling
``(a) In General.--
``(1) Written notification.--If, for a fiscal year,
Congress does not adopt a concurrent resolution on the budget
that satisfies the required ratio by the covered date, the
President may submit a written notification to Congress,
including a debt reduction proposal with legislative language
that satisfies the required ratio, that the President is
increasing the statutory limit on the public debt subject to
limit in section 3101(b) and that further borrowing is required
to meet existing commitments.
``(2) Effect of notification.--
``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (C),
upon the submission of a written notification by the
President under paragraph (1), including a debt
reduction proposal comprised of legislative text that
the Director of the Office of Management and Budget has
determined satisfies the required ratio, the statutory
limit on the public debt shall be increased by an
amount determined under subparagraph (D).
``(B) Effective date.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (C), an increase of the statutory limit on
the public debt under subparagraph (A) shall take
effect on the date that is 30 calendar days after the
date on which the written notification is submitted by
the President under paragraph (1).
``(C) Limitation on authority.--The statutory limit
on the public debt shall not be increased under this
paragraph if, during the 30-calendar-day period
beginning on the date on which Congress receives a
notification under this paragraph, Congress enacts into
law a joint resolution of disapproval in accordance
with subsection (b).
``(D) Determination of increase.--The increase of
the statutory limit on the public debt under
subparagraph (A) shall be equal to the amount necessary
to increase the total debt subject to limit to the
amount that such limit is estimated to be on the last
day of the first fiscal year beginning after the
covered date. The Office of Management and Budget shall
determine the amount of such increase using baseline
estimates provided by the Congressional Budget Office.
``(3) Covered date defined.--For purposes of paragraph (1),
the term `covered date' means the earlier of--
``(A) April 15 of the calendar year in which the
fiscal year of the applicable concurrent resolution on
the budget begins; or
``(B) 60 days before the date on which the
statutory limit on the public debt will be reached, as
described in the congressional notification submitted
by the Secretary of the Treasury.
``(b) Joint Resolution of Disapproval.--
``(1) In general.--If a joint resolution of disapproval has
not been enacted by the end of the 30-calendar-day period
beginning on the date on which the presidential notification to
which the joint resolution relates was received by Congress
under subsection (a), the statutory limit on public debt shall
be increased as specified in the presidential notification.
``(2) Contents of joint resolution.--For the purpose of
this section, the term `joint resolution' means only a joint
resolution--
``(A) that is introduced between the date the
written notification is received and 3 calendar days
after that date (or if the House of Representatives or
Senate is not in session, the next calendar date in
which it is in session);
``(B) which does not have a preamble;
``(C) the title of which is only as follows: `Joint
resolution relating to the disapproval of the
President's exercise of authority to increase the debt
limit, as submitted under section 3101B(a) of title 31,
United States Code, on ______' (with the blank
containing the date of such submission); and
``(D) the matter after the resolving clause of
which is only as follows: `That Congress disapproves of
the President's exercise of authority to increase the
debt limit, as exercised pursuant to the written
notification under section 3101B(a) of title 31, United
States Code.'.
``(c) Expedited Consideration in the House of Representatives.--
``(1) Reconvening.--Upon receipt of a written notification
described in subsection (a)(1), the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, if the House of Representatives would
otherwise be adjourned, shall notify the Members of the House
of Representatives that, pursuant to this section, the House of
Representatives shall convene not later than the second
calendar day after receipt of such written notification.
``(2) Reporting and discharge.--A joint resolution
introduced under paragraph (1) shall be referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and
such committee shall report the joint resolution to the House
of Representatives without amendment not later than 5 calendar
days after the date on which the joint resolution is
introduced. If the Committee on Ways and Means fails to report
the joint resolution within the 5-day period, the Committee on
Ways and Means shall be discharged from further consideration
of the joint resolution and it shall be referred to the
appropriate calendar.
``(3) Proceeding to consideration.--Upon report or
discharge from the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of
Representatives, and not later than 6 days after the date on
which the joint resolution is introduced under paragraph (1),
it shall be in order to move to proceed to consider the joint
resolution in the House of Representatives. All points of order
against the motion are waived. Such a motion shall not be in
order after the House of Representatives has disposed of a
motion to proceed on a joint resolution addressing a particular
submission. The previous question shall be considered as
ordered on the motion to its adoption without intervening
motion. The motion shall not be debatable. A motion to
reconsider the vote by which the motion is disposed of shall
not be in order.
``(4) Consideration.--The joint resolution shall be
considered as read. All points of order against the joint
resolution and against its consideration are waived. The
previous question shall be considered as ordered on the joint
resolution to its passage without intervening motion except two
hours of debate equally divided and controlled by the proponent
and an opponent. A motion to reconsider the vote on passage of
the joint resolution shall not be in order.
``(d) Expedited Procedure in Senate.--
``(1) Reconvening.--Upon receipt of a written notification
under subsection (a)(1), if the Senate has adjourned or
recessed for more than 2 days, the majority leader of the
Senate, after consultation with the minority leader of the
Senate, shall notify the Members of the Senate that, pursuant
to this section, the Senate shall convene not later than the
second calendar day after receipt of such message.
``(2) Placement on calendar.--Upon introduction in the
Senate, the joint resolution shall be immediately placed on the
calendar.
``(3) Floor consideration.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding Rule XXII of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, it is in order at any
time during the period beginning on the day after the
date on which Congress receives a written notification
under subsection (a) and ending on the sixth day after
the date on which Congress receives a written
notification under subsection (a) (even though a
previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed
to) to move to proceed to the consideration of the
joint resolution, and all points of order against the
joint resolution (and against consideration of the
joint resolution) are waived. The motion to proceed is
not debatable. The motion is not subject to a motion to
postpone. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the
motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in
order. If a motion to proceed to the consideration of
the resolution is agreed to, the joint resolution shall
remain the unfinished business until disposed of.
``(B) Consideration.--Consideration of the joint
resolution, and on all debatable motions and appeals in
connection therewith, shall be limited to not more than
10 hours, which shall be divided equally between the
majority and minority leaders or their designees. A
motion further to limit debate is in order and not
debatable. An amendment to, or a motion to postpone, or
a motion to proceed to the consideration of other
business, or a motion to recommit the joint resolution
is not in order.
``(C) Vote on passage.--If the Senate has voted to
proceed to a joint resolution, the vote on passage of
the joint resolution shall occur immediately following
the conclusion of consideration of the joint
resolution, and a single quorum call at the conclusion
of the debate if requested in accordance with the rules
of the Senate.
``(D) Rulings of the chair on procedure.--Appeals
from the decisions of the Chair relating to the
application of the rules of the Senate, as the case may
be, to the procedure relating to a joint resolution
shall be decided without debate.
``(e) Amendment Not in Order.--A joint resolution of disapproval
considered pursuant to this section shall not be subject to amendment
in either the House of Representatives or the Senate.
``(f) Coordination With Action by Other House.--
``(1) In general.--If, before passing the joint resolution,
one House receives from the other a joint resolution--
``(A) the joint resolution of the other House shall
not be referred to a committee; and
``(B) the procedure in the receiving house shall be
the same as if no joint resolution had been received
from the other house until the vote on passage, when
the joint resolution received from the other house
shall supplant the joint resolution of the receiving
House.
``(2) Treatment of joint resolution of other house.--If the
Senate fails to introduce or consider a joint resolution under
this section, the joint resolution of the House shall be
entitled to expedited floor procedures under this section.
``(3) Treatment of companion measures.--If, following
passage of the joint resolution in the Senate, the Senate then
receives the companion measure from the House of
Representatives, the companion measure shall not be debatable.
``(4) Consideration after passage.--
``(A) In general.--If Congress passes a joint
resolution, the period beginning on the date the
President is presented with the joint resolution and
ending on the date the President signs, allows to
become law without the signature of the President, or
vetoes and returns the joint resolution (but excluding
days when either House is not in session) shall be
disregarded in computing the appropriate calendar day
period described in subsection (b)(1).
``(B) Debate on veto message.--Debate on a veto
message in the Senate under this section shall be 1
hour equally divided between the majority and minority
leaders or their designees.
``(C) Veto override.--If, within the 30-calendar-
day period described in subsection (b)(1), Congress
overrides a veto of a joint resolution, the limitation
in effect under section 3101(b) shall not be suspended.
``(g) Rules of House of Representatives and Senate.--This section
and section 3101A are enacted by Congress--
``(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate
and House of Representatives, respectively, and as such it is
deemed a part of the rules of each