FIRE Act

Summary: Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2016 or the FIRE Act  This bill requires the President and the congressional leadership to appoint members of a National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform within 180 days of the inauguration of a President. The commission must identify policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium-term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long-term. In carrying out these duties, the commission must propose recommendations to: (1) balance the budget, excluding interest payments on the debt, within 10 years, in order to stabilize the debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio at an acceptable level; and (2) meaningfully improve the long-term fiscal outlook, including changes to address the growth of entitlement spending and the gap between projected revenues and expenditures.  Within one year of the appointment of its members, the commission must vote on a report including the required recommendations. The commission may only issue a final report to be submitted to Congress if at least 12 of its 18 members approve the report. Each commission terminates 30 days after submitting a report to Congress.  After consulting with Congress and specified agencies, the President must submit to Congress a joint resolution containing the legislative text necessary to implement the recommendations contained in a report submitted to Congress. The resolution must be accompanied by a special message that includes specified details regarding recommendations of the commission that are excluded from or included in the resolution.  Congress must consider the joint resolution using expedited legislative procedures specified in the bill. 

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            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date on 
        which a Commission report is submitted under section 2(f)(3), 
        the President shall transmit to Congress a special message 
        accompanied by a proposed joint resolution.
            (2) Requirements for preparation of proposed joint 
        resolution.--
                    (A) Consultation with congress.--
                            (i) In general.--The President may not 
                        transmit a proposed joint resolution under 
                        paragraph (1) until after the President 
                        completes consultation with Congress in 
                        accordance with this subparagraph.
                            (ii) 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.
                            (iii) Requirements for consultation.--The 
                        consultation required under clause (ii) 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) substantive feedback or 
                                recommendations relating to the 
                                Commission report and how best to 
                                legislatively address the 
                                recommendations contained in the 
                                Commission report;
                                    (II) recommendations for 
                                alternative means of addressing the 
                                recommendations contained in the 
                                Commission report; and
                                    (III) recommendations regarding 
                                which recommendations contained in the 
                                Commission report should not be 
                                addressed in the proposed joint 
                                resolution.
                            (iv) Relevant committees.--The relevant 
                        committees of the Senate and the House of 
                        Representatives for purposes of this 
                        subparagraph shall be--
                                    (I) determined by the President; 
                                and
                                    (II) based on the content of the 
                                proposed joint resolution.
                    (B) Consultation with gao and cbo.--The President 
                shall prepare a proposed joint resolution transmitted 
                under paragraph (1) in consultation with the 
                Comptroller General of the United States and the 
                Director of the Congressional Budget Office.
            (3) Contents of special message.--A special message 
        transmitted under paragraph (1) shall--
                    (A) specify recommendations outlined in the 
                Commission report that are excluded from the proposed 
                joint resolution;
                    (B) detail why the recommendations described in 
                subparagraph (A) were excluded from the proposed joint 
                resolution;
                    (C) specify recommendations outlined in the 
                Commission report that are included in the proposed 
                joint resolution; and
                    (D) identify programs included in the Commission 
                report that should be eliminated or consolidated.
            (4) 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.
            (5) Public availability.--The President shall make a copy 
        of the special message and the proposed joint resolution 
        publicly available, and shall publish in the Federal Register a 
        notice of the message and information on how it can be 
        obtained.
    (c) Introduction by Leaders.--
            (1) In the house of representatives.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 30 days on which 
                the House of Representatives is in session after the 
                date on which the President transmits a proposed joint 
                resolution under subsection (b), the proposed joint 
                resolution shall be introduced in the House of 
                Representatives (by request) 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.
                    (B) Joint resolution not introduced.--
                            (i) In general.--If, within 31 days on 
                        which the House of Representatives is in 
                        session after the date on which the President 
                        transmits a proposed joint resolution under 
                        subsection (b), the proposed joint resolution 
                        is not introduced in accordance with 
                        subparagraph (A), it shall be in order for the 
                        minority leader of the House of Representatives 
                        or a Member of the House of Representatives 
                        designated by the minority leader of the House 
                        of Representatives to introduce the proposed 
                        joint resolution.
                            (ii) Joint resolution introduction by 
                        others.--If, within 40 days on which the House 
                        of Representatives is in session after the date 
                        on which the President transmits a proposed 
                        joint resolution under subsection (b), the 
                        proposed joint resolution is not introduced in 
                        accordance with subparagraph (A) or clause (i) 
                        of this subparagraph, it shall be in order for 
                        any member of the House of Representatives to 
                        introduce the proposed joint resolution in the 
                        House of Representatives.
            (2) In the senate.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 30 days on which 
                the Senate is in session after the date on which the 
                President transmits a proposed joint resolution under 
                subsection (b), the proposed joint resolution shall be 
                introduced in the Senate (by request) by the majority 
                leader of the Senate or by a Member of the Senate 
                designated by the majority leader of the Senate.
                    (B) Joint resolution not introduced.--
                            (i) In general.--If, within 31 days on 
                        which the Senate is in session after the date 
                        on which the President transmits a proposed 
                        joint resolution under subsection (b), the 
                        proposed joint resolution is not introduced in 
                        accordance with subparagraph (A), it shall be 
                        in order for the minority leader of the Senate 
                        or a Member of the Senate designated by the 
                        minority leader of the Senate to introduce the 
                        proposed joint resolution.
                            (ii) Joint resolution introduction by 
                        others.--If, within 40 days on which the Senate 
                        is in session after the date on which the 
                        President transmits a proposed joint resolution 
                        under subsection (b), the proposed joint 
                        resolution is not introduced in accordance with 
                        subparagraph (A) or clause (i) of this 
                        subparagraph, it shall be in order for any 
                        member of the Senate to introduce the proposed 
                        joint resolution.