II

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1148

To allow for moderate growth of mandatory spending.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 23 (legislative day, JUNE 22), 1993

Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. MACK, Mr. D’AMATO, Mr. SMITH, Mr. SIMPSON,

and Mr. CRAIG) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and

referred jointly pursuant to the order of August 4, 1977, to the Committees on the Budget and Governmental Affairs, with instructions that if

one Committee reports, the other Committee have thirty days to report

or be discharged

A BILL

To allow for moderate growth of mandatory spending.

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

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

4 The Congress finds that—

5 (1) mandatory spending has increased from

6 $32,000,000,000 in 1962 to $770,000,000,000 in

7 1993;

8 (2) mandatory spending now accounts for over

9 half of all Federal outlays, up from 30 percent in

10 1962;
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1 (3) over the next five years, mandatory spend2 ing will grow by $5,400,000,000,000 over and above

3 inflation increases and increases for new bene4 ficiaries;

5 (4) the Federal budget deficit, projected to ex6 ceed $650,000,000,000 in 2003, will continue to ex7 pand unless the growth in mandatory spending is

8 brought under control; and

9 (5) the current budget process does not provide

10 adequate controls on the growth of mandatory

11 spending.

12 SEC. 2. CAP ON INCREASE IN MANDATORY SPENDING.

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Effective beginning with fiscal

14 year 1994 and fiscal years thereafter, the growth of each

15 individual mandatory program except Social Security shall

16 not exceed a level that is—

17 (1) adjusted for beneficiary and inflation

18 growth, plus

19 (2) 2 percent for fiscal year 1994 and 1 percent

20 for fiscal year 1995.

21 (b) CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET.—

22 (1) BUDGET RESOLUTION.—The congressional

23 budget resolution for a fiscal year shall not provide

24 mandatory funding levels that exceed levels estab25 lished in subsection (a).
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1 (2) POINT OF ORDER.—It shall not be in order

2 in the Senate or the House of Representatives to

3 consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or con4 ference report if such bill, resolution, amendment, or

5 conference report would cause mandatory funding

6 levels to exceed levels established in subsection (a).

7 This point of order may only be waived or suspended

8 by a vote of three-fifths of the Members, duly chosen

9 and sworn.

10 (c) IMPLEMENTATION.—

11 (1) PRESIDENT’S REPORT AND RECOMMENDA12 TIONS.—If in any fiscal year the President projects

13 that the spending for any mandatory program will

14 exceed the level established under subsection (a), the

15 President shall, before April 15 of each fiscal year,

16 recommend to the Congress legislative changes, in17 cluding changes in eligibility for benefits, to address

18 the mandatory spending overages, if any, in the

19 prior, current, or budget year.

20 (2) CONGRESS ACTS.—Within 10 days after the

21 President’s recommendations are submitted, the

22 Congress shall make relevant changes in laws to re23 duce the mandatory spending to the cap levels as re24 quired under subsection (a).
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1 (3) SEQUESTER.—Notwithstanding any other

2 provision of law, if the Congress fails to make such

3 changes in laws, there shall be a sequester in any

4 fiscal year to reduce spending for mandatory pro5 grams except Social Security if such an individual

6 program exceeded the cap levels established in sub7 section (a). Such sequester shall institute pro rata

8 reduction of all benefit payments made under pro9 grams subject to the provisions of this Act.

10 SEC. 3. DEFINITION.

11 For the purpose of this Act, the term ‘‘individual

12 mandatory program’’ means a program that makes pay13 ments to any person, business, or unit of government that

14 seeks the payments and that meets eligibility criteria es15 tablished by law. The term includes—

16 (1) Farm Price Supports;

17 (2) Family Social Services-Foster Care and

18 Adoption Assistance;

19 (3) Guaranteed Student Loan Program;

20 (4) Medicaid;

21 (5) Hospital Insurance;

22 (6) Supplemental Medical Insurance;

23 (7) Railroad Retirement;

24 (8) Civil Service Pensions;

25 (9) Military Pensions;
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1 (10) Unemployment Compensation;

2 (11) Child Nutrition Program;

3 (12) Supplemental Security Income;

4 (13) Family Support Pay;

5 (14) Veteran’s Compensation and Pensions;

6 (15) Food Stamps;

7 (16) Housing Assistance;

8 (17) Vocational Rehabilitation;

9 (18) Readjustment Benefits;

10 (19) FDIC and FSLIC; and

11 (20) other mandatory spending programs under

12 categories established by the Congressional Budget

13 Office.

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