119-hr222

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 222 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

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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