[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 222 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 222
To establish a national commission on fiscal responsibility and reform,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 7, 2025
Mr. Case (for himself, Mr. Womack, Mr. Peters, and Mr. Nunn of Iowa)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, 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 a national commission on fiscal responsibility and reform,
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 ``Sustainable Budget Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, there shall be established within the
legislative branch a commission to be known as the National Commission
on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (referred to in this Act as the
``Commission'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) Composition of commission.--A Commission shall be
composed of 18 members of whom--
(A) six members shall be appointed by the
President, of whom not more than 4 shall be from the
same political party;
(B) three members shall be appointed by the
majority leader of the Senate, from among current
Members of the Senate;
(C) three members shall be appointed by the Speaker
of the House of Representatives, from among current
Members of the House of Representatives;
(D) three members shall be appointed by the
minority leader of the Senate, from among current
Members of the Senate; and
(E) three members shall be appointed by the
minority leader of the House of Representatives, from
among current Members of the House of Representatives.
(2) Initial appointments.--Initial appointments to the
Commission shall be made not later than 60 days after the
establishment of the Commission.
(3) Vacancy.--A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled
in the same manner as the initial appointment.
(c) Co-Chairpersons.--From among the members appointed under
paragraph (1), the President shall designate 2 members, who shall not
be of the same political party, to serve as Co-Chairpersons of the
Commission.
(d) Qualifications.--Members appointed to the Commission shall have
significant depth of experience and responsibilities in matters
relating to government service, fiscal policy, economics, Federal
agency management or private sector management, public administration,
and law.
(e) Duties.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall identify policies to
improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve
fiscal sustainability over the long term.
(2) Requirements.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Commission shall--
(A) propose recommendations designed to balance the
budget, excluding interest payments on the debt, by the
end of the 10-year period beginning on the date on
which the Commission is established, in order to
stabilize the debt-to-GDP ratio at an acceptable level;
and
(B) propose recommendations that meaningfully
improve the long-term fiscal outlook, including changes
to address the growth of entitlement spending and the
gap between the projected revenues and expenditures of
the Federal Government.
(f) Reports.--
(1) In general.--
(A) Final report.--Not later than 1 year after the
date on which members are appointed to the Commission
under subsection (b), the Commission shall vote on the
approval of a final report containing the
recommendations required under subsection (e).
(B) Interim reports.--At any time after the date on
which members are appointed and prior to voting on the
approval of a final report under subparagraph (A), the
Commission may vote on the approval of an interim
report containing such recommendations described in
subsection (e) as the Commission may provide.
(2) Approval of report.--The Commission may only issue a
report under this subsection if--
(A) the report is approved by not less than 12
members of the Commission; and
(B) of the members approving the report, at least 4
are members of the same political party to which the
Speaker of the House of Representatives belongs and at
least 4 are members of the same political party to
which the minority leader of the House of
Representatives belongs.
(3) Submission of report to congress.--Each report approved
under this subsection shall be submitted to Congress and made
available to the public.
(g) Powers of the Commission.--
(1) Hearings.--The Commission may hold such hearings, sit
and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and
receive such evidence as the Commission considers advisable to
carry out the duties of the Commission described in subsection
(e).
(2) Information from federal agencies.--The Commission may
secure directly from any Federal agency such information as the
Commission considers necessary to carry out the duties of the
Commission described in subsection (e). Upon request from the
Co-Chairpersons of the Commission, the head of the Federal
agency shall provide the information requested to the
Commission.
(3) Postal services.--The Commission may use the United
States mail in the same manner and under the same conditions as
other departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
(4) Website.--
(A) Contents.--The Commission shall establish a
website that shall contain--
(i) the recommendations required under
subsection (e); and
(ii) the records of attendance of the
members of the Commission for each meeting of
the Commission.
(B) Date of publication.--The Commission shall
publish a recommendation or record of attendance
described under subparagraph (A) on the website
established under such subparagraph not later than 72
hours after the conclusion of the meeting at which such
recommendation is made or at which such record of
attendance is taken.
(h) Assistance of Other Legislative Branch Entities.--
(1) Government accountability office.--The Comptroller
General shall provide technical assistance to the Commission,
as the Commission conducts the work of the Commission, on the
findings and recommendations of the Government Accountability
Office.
(2) Congressional budget office.--The Director of the
Congressional Budget Office shall provide technical assistance
to the Commission, as the Commission conducts the work of the
Commission, on the findings and recommendations of the
Congressional Budget Office.
(3) Joint committee on taxation.--The chair of the Joint
Committee on Taxation shall provide technical assistance to the
Commission, as the Commission conducts the work of the
Commission, on the findings and recommendations of the Joint
Committee on Taxation.
(i) Personnel Matters.--
(1) In general.--Members of the Commission shall serve
without any additional compensation.
(2) Travel expenses.--Members of the Commission shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business
in the performance of services for the Commission.
(3) Staff.--
(A) In general.--The Co-Chairpersons of the
Commission, may without regard to the civil service
laws and regulations, appoint and terminate an
executive director and such other additional personnel
as may be necessary to enable the Commission to perform
its duties. The employment of an executive director
shall be subject to confirmation by the Commission.
(B) Compensation.--The Co-Chairpersons of the
Commission may fix the compensation of the executive
director and other personnel without regard to the
provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter
53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to the
classification of positions and General Schedule pay
rates, except that the rate of pay for the executive
director and other personnel may not exceed the rate
payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under
section 5613 of such title.
(4) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal Government
employee may be detailed to the Commission without
reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or
loss of civil service status or privilege.
(5) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
The Co-Chairpersons of each Commission may procure temporary
and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5,
United States Code, at rates for individuals which do not
exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay
prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section
5316 of such title.
(j) Termination of the Commission.--The Commission established
shall terminate 30 days after the date on which the Commission submits
the final report of the Commission under subsection (f).
(k) Rules of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed
to--
(1) impair or otherwise affect--
(A) authority granted by law to an executive
department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(B) functions of the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget relating to budgetary,
administrative, or legislative proposals; or
(2) create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United
States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers,
employees, or agents, or any other person.
(l) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Commission such sums as may be necessary to carry out this
Act.
(2) Availability.--Any sums appropriated under paragraph
(1) shall remain available, without fiscal year limitation,
until expended.
(m) Federal Agency Defined.--The term ``Federal agency'' means an
establishment in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the
Federal Government.
SEC. 3. CONSIDERATION OF COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS.
(a) Submission of Proposed Joint Resolution.--Not later than 60
days after the date on which the Commission submits a report to
Congress under section 2(f)(3), the President shall transmit to
Congress a special message on the report, accompanied by a proposed
joint resolution consisting of legislative language to implement the
recommendations contained in such report.
(b) Requirements for Preparation of Proposed Joint Resolution.--
(1) Consultation with congress.--
(A) In general.--The President may not transmit a
proposed joint resolution under subsection (a) until
after the President completes consultation with
Congress in accordance with this paragraph.
(B) Consultation with committees.--The President
shall consult with the chairman and ranking minority
member of each relevant committee of the Senate or of
the House of Representatives regarding the contents of
a proposed joint resolution.
(C) Requirements for consultation.--The
consultation required under subparagraph (B) shall
provide the opportunity for the chairman and ranking
member of each relevant committee of the Senate or of
the House of Representatives to provide--
(i) recommendations for alternative means
of addressing the recommendations contained in
the Commission report; and
(ii) recommendations regarding which
recommendations contained in the Commission
report should not be addressed in the proposed
joint resolution.
(D) Relevant committees.--The relevant committees
of the Senate and the House of Representatives for
purposes of this paragraph shall be--
(i) determined by the President; and
(ii) based on the content of the proposed
joint resolution.
(2) Consultation with gao and cbo.--The President shall
prepare a proposed joint resolution transmitted under
subsection (a) in consultation with the Comptroller General of
the United States and the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office.
(c) Contents of Special Message.--A special message transmitted
under subsection (a) shall--
(1) specify recommendations outlined in the Commission
report that are excluded from the proposed joint resolution;
(2) detail why the recommendations described in paragraph
(1) were excluded from the proposed joint resolution;
(3) specify recommendations outlined in the Commission
report that are included in the proposed joint resolution; and
(4) identify programs included in the Commission report
that should be eliminated or consolidated.
(d) Transmittal.--The President shall submit the special message to
the Secretary of the Senate if the Senate is not in session and to the
Clerk of the House of Representatives if the House is not in session.
(e) Public Availability.--The President shall make a copy of the
special message and the proposed joint resolution publicly available,
including publicly available on a website of the President, and shall
publish in the Federal Register a notice of the message and information
on how it can be obtained.
SEC. 4. EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED JOINT RESOLUTION.
(a) Qualifying Legislation.--
(1) In general.--Only a Commission joint resolution shall
be entitled to expedited consideration under this section.
(2) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Commission
joint resolution'' means a joint resolution which consists
solely of the text of the proposed joint resolution submitted
by the President under section 3(a).
(b) Consideration in the House of Representatives.--
(1) Introduction.--A Commission joint resolution may be
introduced in the House of Representatives (by request)--
(A) by the majority leader of the House of
Representatives, or by a Member of the House of
Representatives designated by the majority leader of
the House of Representatives, on the next legislative
day after the date on which the President submits the
proposed joint resolution under section 3(a); or
(B) if the Commission joint resolution is not
introduced under subparagraph (A), by any Member of the
House of Representatives on any legislative day
beginning on the legislative day after the legislative
day described in subparagraph (A).
(2) Referral and reporting.--Any committee of the House of
Representatives to which a Commission joint resolution is
referred shall report the Commission joint resolution to the
House of Representatives without amendment not later than 10
legislative days after the date on which the Commission joint
resolution was so referred. If a committee of the House of
Representatives fails to report a Commission joint resolution
within that period, it shall be in order to move that the House
of Representatives discharge the committee from further
consideration of the Commission joint resolution. Such a motion
shall not be in order after the last committee authorized to
consider the Commission joint resolution reports it to the
House of Representatives or after the House of Representatives
has disposed of a motion to discharge the Commission joint
resolution. 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 of Representatives shall proceed
immediately to consider the Commission joint resolution in
accordance with paragraphs (3) and (4). A motion to reconsider
the vote by which the motion is disposed of shall not be in
order.
(3) Proceeding to consideration.--After the last committee
authorized to consider a Commission joint resolution reports it
to the House of Representatives or has been discharged (other
than by motion) from its consideration, it shall be in order to
move to proceed to consider the Commission joint resolution in
the House of Representatives. Such a motion shall not be in
order after the House of Representatives has disposed of a
motion to proceed with respect to the Commission joint
resolution. 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.
(4) Consideration.--The Commission joint resolution shall
be considered as read. All points of order against the
Commission joint resolution and against its consideration are
waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on
the Commission joint resolution to its passage without
intervening motion except 2 hours of debate equally divided and
controlled by the proponent and an opponent and 1 motion to
limit debate on the Commission joint resolution. A motion to
reconsider the vote on passage of the Commission joint
resolution shall not be in order.
(5) Vote on passage.--The vote on passage of the Commission
joint resolution shall occur not later than 3 legislative days
after the date on which the last committee authorized to
consider the Commission joint resolution reports it to the
House of Representatives or is discharged.
(c) Expedited Procedure in the Senate.--
(1) Introduction in the senate.--A Commission joint
resolution may be introduced in the Senate (by request)--
(A) by the majority leader of the Senate, or by a
Member of the Senate designated by the majority leader
of the Senate, on the next legislative day after the
date on which the President submits the proposed joint
resolution under section 3(a); or
(B) if the Commission joint resolution is not
introduced under subparagraph (A), by any Member of the
Senate on any day on which the Senate is in session
beginning on the day after the day described in
subparagraph (A).
(2) Committee consideration.--A Commission joint resolution
introduced in the Senate under paragraph (1) shall be jointly
referred to the committee or committees of jurisdiction, which
committees shall report the Commission joint resolution without
any revision and with a favorable recommendation, an
unfavorable recommendation, or without recommendation, not
later than 10 session days after the date on which the
Commission joint resolution was so referred. If any committee
to which a Commission joint resolution is referred fails to
report the Commission joint resolution within that period, that
committee shall be automatically discharged from consideration
of the Commission joint resolution, and the Commission joint
resolution shall be placed on the appropriate calendar.
(3) Proceeding.--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 a Commission joint resolution
is reported or discharged from all committees to which the
Commission joint resolution was referred, for the majority
leader of the Senate or the designee of the majority leader to
move to proceed to the consideration of the Commission joint
resolution. It shall also be in order for any Member of the
Senate to move to proceed to the consideration of the
Commission joint resolution 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 the Commission
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 Commission joint resolution is
agreed to, the Commission joint resolution shall remain the
unfinished business until disposed of. All points of order
against a Commission joint resolution and against consideration
of the Commission joint resolution are waived.
(4) No amendments.--An amendment to a Commission joint
resolution, or a motion to postpone, or a motion to proceed to
the consideration of other business, or a motion to recommit
the Commission joint resolution, is not in order.
(5) 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 Commission joint resolution shall be decided without debate.
(d) Amendment.--A Commission joint resolution shall not be subject
to amendment in either the Senate or the House of Representatives.
(e) Consideration by the Other House.--
(1) In general.--If, before passing a Commission joint
resolution, a House receives from the other House a Commission
joint resolution of the other House--
(A) the Commission 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 Commission joint resolution had been
received from the other House until the vote on
passage, when the Commission joint resolution received
from the other House shall supplant the Commission
joint resolution of the receiving House.
(2) Revenue measures.--This subsection shall not apply to
the House of Representatives if a Commission joint resolution
received from the Senate is a revenue measure.
(f) Rules To Coordinate Action With Other House.--
(1) Treatment of commission joint resolution of other
house.--If a Commission joint resolution is not introduced in
the Senate or the Senate fails to consider a Commission joint
resolution under this section, the Commission joint resolution
of the House of Representatives shall be entitled to expedited
floor procedures under this section.
(2) Treatment of companion measures in the senate.--If,
following passage of a Commission joint resolution in the
Senate, the Senate then receives from the House of
Representatives a Commission joint resolution, the House-passed
Commission joint resolution shall not be debatable. The vote on
passage of the Commission joint resolution in the Senate shall
be considered to be the vote on passage of the Commission joint
resolution received from the House of Representatives.
(3) Vetoes.--If the President vetoes a Commission joint
resolution, consideration of a veto message in the Senate under
this paragraph shall be 10 hours equally divided between the
majority and minority leaders of the Senate or the designees of
the majority and minority leaders of the Senate.
(g) Exercise of Rulemaking Power.--This section is 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 House, respectively, but
applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in
that House in the case of a Commission joint resolution, and it
supersedes other rules only to the extent that it is
inconsistent with such rules; and
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of
either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the
procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and
to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that
House.
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