II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1896 

To eliminate the automatic inflation increases for discretionary programs 

built into the baseline projections and require budget estimates to be 

compared with the prior year’s level. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 17, 2011 

Ms. AYOTTE (for herself and Mr. JOHNSON of Wisconsin) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the 

Budget 

A BILL 

To eliminate the automatic inflation increases for discretionary programs built into the baseline projections and 

require budget estimates to be compared with the prior 

year’s level. 

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 ‘‘Baseline Elimination 

5 Act of 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. CHANGES IN THE BASELINE. 

7 Section 257(c) of the Balanced Budget and Emer8 gency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended— 


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1 (1) in the second sentence of paragraph (1), by 

2 striking everything that follows ‘‘current year,’’ and 

3 inserting ‘‘excluding resources designated as an 

4 emergency requirement and any resources provided 

5 in supplemental appropriation laws.’’; 

6 (2) by striking paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and 

7 (5); 

8 (3) by redesignating paragraph (6) as para9 graph (2); and 

10 (4) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol11 lowing: 

12 ‘‘(3) NO ADJUSTMENT FOR INFLATION.—No 

13 adjustment shall be made for inflation or for any 

14 other factor.’’. 

15 SEC. 3. THE PRESIDENT’S BUDGET. 

16 (a) EXPENDITURES AND APPROPRIATIONS.—Para17 graph (5) of section 1105(a) of title 31, United States 

18 Code, is amended to read as follows: 

19 ‘‘(5) except as provided in subsection (b) of this 

20 section, estimated expenditures and appropriations 

21 for the current year and estimated expenditures and 

22 proposed appropriations the President decides are 

23 necessary to support the Government in the fiscal 

24 year for which the budget is submitted and at least 

25 the 4 fiscal years following that year, and, except for 


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1 detailed budget estimates, the percentage change 

2 from the current year to the fiscal year for which 

3 the budget is submitted for estimated expenditures 

4 and for appropriations.’’. 

5 (b) RECEIPTS.—Section 1105(a)(6) of title 31, 

6 United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

7 ‘‘(6) estimated receipts of the Government in 

8 the current year and the fiscal year for which the 

9 budget is submitted and at least the 4 fiscal years 

10 after that year under— 

11 ‘‘(A) laws in effect when the budget is sub12 mitted; and 

13 ‘‘(B) proposals in the budget to increase 

14 revenues, 

15 and the percentage change (in the case of each cat16 egory referred to in subparagraphs (A) and (B)) be17 tween the current year and the fiscal year for which 

18 the budget is submitted and between the current 

19 year and each of the 9 fiscal years after the fiscal 

20 year for which the budget is submitted.’’. 

21 (c) LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS.—Section 1105(a)(12) 

22 of title 31, United States Code, is amended to read as 

23 follows: 


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1 ‘‘(12) for each proposal in the budget for legis2 lation that establishes or expands a Government ac3 tivity or function, a table showing— 

4 ‘‘(A) the amount proposed in the budget 

5 for appropriation and for expenditure because 

6 of the proposal in the fiscal year for which the 

7 budget is submitted; 

8 ‘‘(B) the estimated appropriation required 

9 because of the proposal for each of at least the 

10 4 fiscal years after that year that the proposal 

11 will be in effect; and 

12 ‘‘(C) the estimated amount for the same 

13 activity or function, if any, in the current fiscal 

14 year, 

15 and, except for detailed budget estimates, the per16 centage change (in the case of each category re17 ferred to in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C)) be18 tween the current year and the fiscal year for which 

19 the budget is submitted.’’. 

20 (d) COMPARISONS.—Section 1105(a)(18) of title 31, 

21 United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘new budget 

22 authority and’’ before ‘‘budget outlays’’. 

23 (e) EXPENDITURES AND TABLES.—Section 1105(a) 

24 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by— 


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1 (1) redesignating paragraph (37) following 

2 paragraph (38) as paragraph (39); and 

3 (2) adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(40) a comparison of levels of estimated ex5 penditures and proposed appropriations for each 

6 function and subfunction in the current fiscal year 

7 and the fiscal year for which the budget is sub8 mitted, along with the proposed increase or decrease 

9 of spending in percentage terms for each function 

10 and subfunction. 

11 ‘‘(41) a table on sources of growth in total di12 rect spending under current law and as proposed in 

13 this budget submission for the budget year and at 

14 least the ensuing 9 fiscal years, which shall include 

15 changes in outlays attributable to the following: cost16 of-living adjustments; changes in the number of pro17 gram recipients; increases in medical care prices, 

18 utilization and intensity of medical care; and resid19 ual factors.’’. 

20 (f) CURRENT PROGRAMS.—Section 1109(a) of title 

21 31, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the 

22 first sentence the following: ‘‘For discretionary spending, 

23 these estimates shall assume the levels no higher than 

24 those set forth in the discretionary spending limits under 

25 section 251(c) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 


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1 Deficit Control Act of 1985, as adjusted, for the appro2 priate fiscal years (and if no such limits are in effect, these 

3 estimates shall assume adjusted levels no higher than 

4 those for the most recent fiscal year for which such levels 

5 were in effect).’’. 

6 SEC. 4. THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET. 

7 Section 301(e) of the Congressional Budget Act of 

8 1974 (as amended by section 103) is further amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting at the end 

10 the following: ‘‘The basis of deliberations in devel11 oping such joint resolution shall be the estimated 

12 budgetary levels for the preceding fiscal year. Any 

13 budgetary levels pending before the committee and 

14 the text of the joint resolution shall be accompanied 

15 by a document comparing such levels or such text to 

16 the estimated levels of the prior fiscal year.’’; and 

17 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

18 (A) in subparagraph (E), by striking 

19 ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 

20 (B) in subparagraph (F), by striking the 

21 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

22 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(G) a comparison of levels for the current 

24 fiscal year with proposed spending and revenue 

25 levels for the subsequent fiscal years along with 


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1 the proposed increase or decrease of spending 

2 in percentage terms for each function.’’. 

3 SEC. 5. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE REPORTS TO 

4 COMMITTEES. 

5 (a) COMPARABLE LEVELS.—The first sentence of 

6 section 202(e)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 

7 is amended by inserting ‘‘compared to comparable levels 

8 for the current year’’ before the comma at the end of sub9 paragraph (A) and before the comma at the end of sub10 paragraph (B). 

11 (b) SOURCES OF SPENDING GROWTH.—Section 

12 202(e)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is 

13 amended by inserting after the first sentence the following 

14 new sentence: ‘‘Such report shall also include a table on 

15 sources of spending growth in total direct spending, rev16 enue, deficit, and debt for the budget year and the ensuing 

17 4 fiscal years, which shall include changes in outlays at18 tributable to the following: 

19 ‘‘(A) Cost-of-living adjustments. 

20 ‘‘(B) Changes in the number of program 

21 recipients. 

22 ‘‘(C) Increases in medical care prices, utili23 zation and intensity of medical care. 

24 ‘‘(D) Residual factors.’’. 


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1 (c) COMPARISON OF LEVELS.—Section 308(a)(1)(B) 

2 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by 

3 inserting ‘‘and shall include a comparison of those levels 

4 to comparable levels for the current fiscal year’’ before ‘‘if 

5 timely submitted’’. 

Æ 


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