I 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4320 

To amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require long-term cost 

benefit analyses of introduced bills. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 29, 2012 

Mr. FATTAH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on 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 the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require 

long-term cost benefit analyses of introduced bills. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reinvesting and En5 suring America’s Ability to Lead Act of 2012’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The bedrock of the Nation’s economic 

9 strength and future growth will be directly attribVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:25 Apr 05, 2012 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4320.IH H4320

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•HR 4320 IH

1 uted to the robust Federal investment in critical 

2 areas such as education, science, technology, engi3 neering, and mathematics. 

4 (2) Recognizing the importance of education 

5 and its role in maintaining America’s position as an 

6 economic global leader, President George H.W. Bush 

7 stated that ‘‘U.S. students must be the first in the 

8 world in math and science achievement. Every 

9 American adult must be a skilled, literate worker 

10 and citizen.’’. 

11 (3) As President Bill Clinton recognized when 

12 he created the National Economic Council in 1992, 

13 ‘‘The currency of national strength in this new era 

14 will be denominated not only in ships and tanks and 

15 planes, but in diplomas and patents and pay16 checks.’’. 

17 (4) Recognizing diplomas and patents will not 

18 occur without investing in education, President 

19 George W. Bush stated that ‘‘we must address the 

20 low standing of American test scores amongst indus21 trialized nations in math and science, the very sub22 jects most likely to affect our future competitive23 ness’’. 

24 (5) Similarly, President Obama has stated that 

25 America’s future economic growth and international 


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1 competitiveness depend on our Nation’s willingness 

2 to educate, invest, and innovate. 

3 (6) As stated in a recent report from the Na4 tional Economic Council, the Nation must ‘‘create 

5 the jobs and industries of the future by doing what 

6 America does best—investing in the creativity and 

7 imagination of our people. To win the future, we 

8 must out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the 

9 rest of the world.’’. 

10 (7) Accordingly, Congress should be provided 

11 the means to evaluate legislative worth beyond its 

12 impact to the annual budget. 

13 SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET 

14 ACT OF 1974. 

15 Section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 

16 (2 U.S.C. 653) is amended by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ after ‘‘SEC. 

17 402.’’ and by adding at the end the following new sub18 section: 

19 ‘‘(b)(1) The Director of the Congressional Budget Of20 fice shall, to the extent practicable, prepare a ten-year 

21 long-term cost benefit analysis for each introduced bill or 

22 resolution of a public character that determines its impact 

23 on American global competitiveness as defined by the Con24 gressional Budget Office. 


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1 ‘‘(2) The Director of the Congressional Budget Office 

2 shall devise criteria to evaluate American global competi3 tiveness, including the bill or resolution’s impact on— 

4 ‘‘(A) job creation; 

5 ‘‘(B) economic growth; 

6 ‘‘(C) consumption; 

7 ‘‘(D) investments; and 

8 ‘‘(E) savings. 

9 ‘‘(3) The analysis referred to in paragraph (1) shall 

10 evaluate whether the introduced bill or resolution will posi11 tively or negatively impact America’s economic ability to 

12 compete globally compared to member nations of the 

13 Group of Twenty, or G-20, which comprise of 19 country 

14 members and the European Union, accounting 90 percent 

15 of global gross domestic product (GDP) and 80 percent 

16 of global trade.’’. 

Æ 


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