[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4869 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4869
To establish processes to control inflationary pressures and the
Federal debt, during Federal debt emergencies.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 30, 2021
Mr. Banks introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on Appropriations,
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 establish processes to control inflationary pressures and the
Federal debt, during Federal debt emergencies.
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 ``Federal Debt Emergency Control Act
of 2021''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act--
(1) the terms ``budget year'' and ``current year'' have the
meanings given those terms in section 250(c) of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C.
900(c);
(2) the term ``eligible bill'' means a bill introduced in
the House of Representatives or Senate--
(A) during a Federal debt emergency period;
(B) the title of which is ``To provide for deficit
reduction under the Federal Debt Emergency Control Act
of 2021.'';
(C) that, if enacted, would result in a reduction
of the deficit of not less than 5 percent during the
10-fiscal-year period following the current fiscal
year; and
(D) that does not increase the rate of any Federal
tax or increase any fee paid to the Federal Government;
(3) the term ``Federal debt emergency period'' means the
fiscal year following a fiscal year during which the amount of
the debt of the Federal Government held by the public exceeded
the gross domestic product of the United States for that fiscal
year;
(4) the term ``outlays'' has the meaning given that term in
section 3 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control
Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 621); and
(5) the term ``stimulus spending'' means amounts made
available under--
(A) the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-
123; 134 Stat 146);
(B) the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
(Public Law 116-127; 134 Stat. 178);
(C) the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136; 134 Stat.
281);
(D) the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care
Enhancement Act (Public Law 116-139; 134 Stat. 620);
(E) division N (relating to additional coronavirus
response and relief) of the Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260); or
(F) the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public
Law 117-2).
SEC. 3. FEDERAL DEBT EMERGENCY CONTROL.
(a) Termination of Unspent Stimulus Spending in a Federal Debt
Emergency.--Effective on the first day of the first Federal debt
emergency period, as determined by the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget, the unobligated balances of all stimulus
spending are rescinded and shall be returned to the general fund of the
Treasury.
(b) Self-Financing of Legislation Increasing Spending During a
Federal Debt Emergency.--
(1) Point of order.--During a Federal debt emergency
period, it shall not be in order in the Senate to consider any
bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment, amendment between
the Houses, or conference report that (excluding changes in
Federal tax revenue, if any) would--
(A) increase outlays, relative to the most recent
baseline under section 257 of the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 907)
over the period of the current year, the budget year,
and the ensuing 9 fiscal years; or
(B) increase the deficit over the period of the
current year, the budget year, and the ensuing 9 fiscal
years.
(2) Determination.--The determination of the existence of a
Federal debt emergency period, outlays, and the deficit for
purposes of paragraph (1) shall be based on estimates provided
by the Congressional Budget Office.
(3) Waiver and appeal.--Paragraph (1) may be waived or
suspended in the Senate only by an affirmative vote of two
thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn. An affirmative
vote of two thirds of the Members of the Senate, duly chosen
and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of the ruling
of the Chair on a point of order raised under paragraph (1).
(4) Exercise of rulemaking powers.--Congress adopts the
provisions of this subsection--
(A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the
Senate, and as such they shall be considered as part of
the rules of the Senate, and such rules shall supersede
other rules only to the extent that they are
inconsistent with such other rules; and
(B) with full recognition of the constitutional
right of the Senate to change those rules (insofar as
they relate to the Senate) at any time, in the same
manner, and to the same extent as is the case of any
other rule of the Senate.
SEC. 4. EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION OF DEFICIT REDUCING BILLS.
(a) Consideration in the House of Representatives.--
(1) Referral and reporting.--Any committee of the House of
Representatives to which an eligible bill is referred shall
report it to the House without amendment not later than 30 days
after the date on which the eligible bill is introduced. If a
committee fails to report an eligible bill within that period,
it shall be in order to move that the House discharge the
committee from further consideration of the bill. Such a motion
shall not be in order after the last committee authorized to
consider the bill reports it to the House or after the House
has disposed of a motion to discharge the bill. The previous
question shall be considered as ordered on the motion to its
adoption without intervening motion except 20 minutes of debate
equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an
opponent. If such a motion is adopted, the House shall proceed
immediately to consider the eligible bill in accordance with
paragraphs (2) and (3). A motion to reconsider the vote by
which the motion is disposed of shall not be in order.
(2) Proceeding to consideration.--After the last committee
authorized to consider an eligible bill reports it to the House
or has been discharged (other than by motion) from its
consideration, it shall be in order to move to proceed to
consider the eligible bill in the House. Such a motion shall
not be in order after the House has disposed of a motion to
proceed with respect to the eligible bill. The previous
question shall be considered as ordered on the motion to its
adoption without intervening motion. A motion to reconsider the
vote by which the motion is disposed of shall not be in order.
(3) Consideration.--An eligible bill shall be considered as
read. All points of order against an eligible bill and against
its consideration are waived. The previous question shall be
considered as ordered on an eligible bill to its passage
without intervening motion except 2 hours of debate equally
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent and one
motion to limit debate on the eligible bill. A motion to
reconsider the vote on passage of an eligible bill shall not be
in order.
(4) Vote on passage.--The vote on passage of an eligible
bill shall occur not later than 30 days after the date on which
the eligible bill is introduced.
(b) Expedited Procedure in the Senate.--
(1) Committee consideration.--An eligible bill introduced
in the Senate shall be jointly referred to the committee or
committees of jurisdiction, which committees shall report the
bill without any revision and with a favorable recommendation,
an unfavorable recommendation, or without recommendation, not
later than 30 days after the date on which the eligible bill is
introduced. If any committee fails to report an eligible bill
within that period, that committee shall be automatically
discharged from consideration of the eligible bill, and the
eligible bill shall be placed on the appropriate calendar.
(2) Motion to proceed.--Notwithstanding Rule XXII of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, it is in order, not later than 2
days of session after the date on which an eligible bill is
reported or discharged from all committees to which it was
referred, for the majority leader of the Senate or the majority
leader's designee to move to proceed to the consideration of
the eligible bill. It shall also be in order for any Member of
the Senate to move to proceed to the consideration of the
eligible bill at any time after the conclusion of such 2-day
period. A motion to proceed is in order even though a previous
motion to the same effect has been disagreed to. All points of
order against the motion to proceed to an eligible bill 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 an
eligible bill is agreed to, the eligible bill shall remain the
unfinished business until disposed of.
(3) Consideration.--All points of order against an eligible
bill and against consideration of the eligible bill are waived.
Consideration of an eligible bill and of all debatable motions
and appeals in connection therewith shall not exceed a total of
30 hours which shall be divided equally between the Majority
and Minority Leaders or their designees. A motion further to
limit debate on an eligible bill is in order, shall require an
affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members duly chosen and
sworn, and is not debatable. Any debatable motion or appeal is
debatable for not to exceed 1 hour, to be divided equally
between those favoring and those opposing the motion or appeal.
All time used for consideration of an eligible bill, including
time used for quorum calls and voting, shall be counted against
the total 30 hours of consideration.
(4) No amendments.--An amendment to an eligible bill, or a
motion to postpone, or a motion to proceed to the consideration
of other business, or a motion to recommit the eligible bill,
is not in order.
(5) Vote on passage.--If the Senate has voted to proceed to
an eligible bill, the vote on passage of the eligible bill
shall occur immediately following the conclusion of the debate
on the eligible bill, and a single quorum call at the
conclusion of the debate if requested. The vote on passage of
an eligible bill shall occur not later than 30 days after the
date on which the eligible bill is introduced.
(6) 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
an eligible bill shall be decided without debate.
(c) Amendment.--An eligible bill shall not be subject to amendment
in either the House of Representatives or the Senate.
(d) Consideration by the Other House.--
(1) In general.--If one House receives from the other an
eligible bill--
(A) the eligible bill of the other House shall not
be referred to a committee; and
(B) the eligible bill of the other House shall be
entitled to expedited floor procedures under this
section.
(2) Revenue measure.--This subsection shall not apply to
the House of Representatives if an eligible bill received from
the Senate is a revenue measure.
(e) Vetoes.--If the President vetoes an eligible bill, 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.
(f) Loss of Privilege.--The provisions of this section shall only
apply to an eligible bill during a Federal debt emergency period.
(g) Rulemaking.--The provisions of this section are enacted by
Congress--
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of
Representatives and the Senate, respectively, and as such they
shall be considered as part of the rules of each House,
respectively, or of that House to which they specifically
apply, and such rules shall supersede other rules only to the
extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of
either House to change such rules (so far as relating to such
House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent
as in the case of any other rule of such House.
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