I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5282

To provide a mechansim for dedicating spending cuts in discretionary

spending programs to deficit reduction.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 7, 1994

Mr. SPRATT introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the

Committees on Government Operations and Rules

A BILL

To provide a mechansim for dedicating spending cuts in

discretionary spending programs to deficit reduction.

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

3 SECTION 1. ADJUSTMENTS OF DISCRETIONARY SPENDING

4 LIMITS.

5 (a) ADJUSTMENTS.—The Director shall reduce the

6 discretionary spending limit for new budget authority for

7 a fiscal year set forth in section 601(a)(2) of the Congres8 sional Budget Act of 1974, as adjusted in strict conform9 ance with section 251 of the Balanced Budget and Emer10 gency Deficit Control Act of 1985, by the net aggregate
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1 amount for that fiscal year in all deficit reduction line

2 items set forth in each appropriation bill or rescission bill.

3 The Director shall reduce the adjusted discretionary

4 spending limit for outlays for that fiscal year and each

5 outyear as set forth in such section 601(a)(2) as a result

6 of the reduction of such budget authority, based upon the

7 spendout rates applicable to the discretionary spending

8 programs to which the deficit reduction line items apply.

9 Reductions (if any) shall occur on the day that each such

10 appropriation bill is enacted into law. For purposes of the

11 Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of

12 1985, amounts in deficit reduction line items and outlay

13 reductions associated with them shall be taken into ac14 count only to make the adjustments specified in this sub15 section. For purposes of the Congressional Budget Act of

16 1974, amounts in deficit reduction line items and outlay

17 reductions associated with them shall be considered budg18 et authority and outlays. For all other purposes, including

19 subchapter I of chapter 15 of title 31, United States Code

20 (popularly known as the Anti-Deficiency Act), the amount

21 in deficit reduction line items shall not be considered to

22 provide authority to enter into obligations. Whenever the

23 Director makes any adjustment required by this sub24 section, he shall notify the House of Representatives, the
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1 Senate, and the President on the day such adjustment is

2 made.

3 (b) DEFINITION.—As used in this section—

4 (1) the term ‘‘appropriation bill’’ means any

5 general or supplemental appropriation bill;

6 (2) the term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of

7 the Office of Management and Budget; and

8 (3) the term ‘‘rescission bill’’ means any bill

9 which rescinds budget authority, including a bill re10 ferred to by section 1012 of the Congressional

11 Budget Act of 1974.

12 SEC. 2. DEFICIT REDUCTION LINE ITEMS IN APPROPRIA13 TION MEASURES AND IN RESCISSION BILLS.

14 (a) DEFICIT REDUCTION LINE ITEMS.—Title III of

15 the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by add16 ing at the end the following new section:

17 ‘‘DEFICIT REDUCTION LINE ITEMS IN APPROPRIATION

18 BILLS AND RESCISSION BILLS

19 ‘‘SEC. 314. (a) Whenever the Committee on Appro20 priations of the House of Representatives reports an ap21 propriation bill or a rescission bill, that bill may contain

22 provisions entitled ‘Deficit Reduction Line Item’, com23 prised solely of an amount of deficit reduction associated

24 with a reduction in a specified discretionary appropriation.

25 ‘‘(b)(1) Any amendment offered in the Committee on

26 Appropriations (or any subcommittee thereof) of either
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1 House of Congress or in either House of Congress to an

2 appropriation bill or rescission bill to reduce a particular

3 appropriation for a discretionary spending program may

4 include a provision designating an amount (not to exceed

5 the amount of the reduction) for a deficit reduction line

6 item associated with that appropriation.

7 ‘‘(2) Any amendment offered in the Committee on

8 Appropriations (or any subcommittee thereof) of either

9 House of Congress or in either House of Congress to an

10 appropriation bill or rescisison bill to increase a particular

11 appropriation or reduce a rescission for a discretionary

12 spending program may include a provision designating an

13 amount (not to exceed the amount of the increase in the

14 appropriation or reduction in the rescission) by which the

15 amount for one or more specified deficit reduction line

16 items is to be reduced (but the resulting amount may not

17 be less than zero), notwithstanding that any such deficit

18 reduction line item has been changed by an amendment.

19 ‘‘(3) No amendment establishing or increasing the

20 amount for a deficit reduction line item shall be in order

21 in the House of Representatives or Senate unless it is

22 printed in the Congressional Record at least one day be23 fore it is offered.

24 ‘‘(c) It shall not be in order in the House of Rep25 resentatives or in the Senate to offer an amendment estab-
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1 lishing or increasing the amount for a deficit reduction

2 line item unless the amendment reduces an appropriation

3 for a discretionary spending program associated with that

4 line item by at least an equivalent amount.

5 ‘‘(d) It shall not be in order in the House of Rep6 resentatives or the Senate to consider a conference report

7 proposing an amendment to a deficit reduction line item

8 respecting a particular discretionary spending program

9 that is beyond the scope of that deficit reduction line item

10 as so committed to the conference committee.

11 ‘‘(e) As used in this section—

12 ‘‘(1) the term ‘appropriation bill’ means any

13 general or supplemental appropriation bill; and

14 ‘‘(2) the term ‘rescission bill’ means any bill

15 which rescinds budget authority, including a bill re16 ferred to by section 1012.’’.

17 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con18 tents set forth in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget

19 and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended by in20 serting after the item relating to section 313 the following

21 new item:

‘‘Sec. 314. Deficit reduction line items in appropriation bills.’’.

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