113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1598 

To provide a process for ensuring the United States does not default on 

its obligations. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 29, 2013 

Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mr. SCHUMER, and Ms. HIRONO) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To provide a process for ensuring the United States does 

not default on its obligations. 

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 ‘‘Pay Our Bills Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL PRESIDENTIAL MODIFICATION OF THE 

6 DEBT CEILING. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 31 of 

8 subtitle III of title 31, United States Code, is amended— 

9 (1) in section 3101(b), by inserting ‘‘or 3101B’’ 

10 after ‘‘section 3101A’’; and 


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1 (2) by inserting after section 3101A the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘§ 3101B. Additional Presidential modification of the 

4 debt ceiling 

5 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 

6 ‘‘(1) CERTIFICATION.—If the President submits 

7 a written certification to Congress that the Presi8 dent has determined that the debt subject to limit 

9 is within $100,000,000,000 of the limit under sec10 tion 3101(b) and that further borrowing, in an 

11 amount specified in the certification, is required to 

12 meet existing commitments, the Secretary of the 

13 Treasury may, unless a joint resolution of dis14 approval is enacted pursuant to this section, exercise 

15 authority to borrow an additional amount equal to 

16 the amount specified in the certification. 

17 ‘‘(2) RESOLUTION OF DISAPPROVAL.—Congress 

18 may consider a joint resolution of disapproval of the 

19 authority under paragraph (1) as provided in sub20 sections (c) through (g). If the time for disapproval 

21 has lapsed without enactment of a joint resolution of 

22 disapproval under this section, the debt limit is in23 creased by the amount authorized under paragraph 

24 (1). 

25 ‘‘(b) SUSPENSION.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 3101(b) shall not 

2 apply for the period beginning on the date on which 

3 the President submits to Congress a certification 

4 under subsection (a) and ending on the earlier of— 

5 ‘‘(A) the date that is 15 calendar days 

6 after Congress receives the certification, deter7 mined in accordance with subsection (g)(4)(A); 

8 or 

9 ‘‘(B) the date of enactment of a joint reso10 lution disapproving the President’s exercise of 

11 authority with respect to the debt limit under 

12 that certification. 

13 ‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULE RELATING TO OBLIGATIONS

14 ISSUED DURING SUSPENSION PERIOD.—Effective on 

15 the day after the applicable date described in para16 graph (1), the limitation in section 3101(b), as in17 creased under any provision of law, is increased to 

18 the extent that— 

19 ‘‘(A) the face amount of obligations issued 

20 under this chapter and the face amount of obli21 gations whose principal and interest are guar22 anteed by the United States Government (ex23 cept guaranteed obligations held by the Sec24 retary of the Treasury) outstanding on the calVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:10 Oct 30, 2013 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1598.IS S1598

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1 endar day after date described in paragraph (1) 

2 of this subsection, exceeds 

3 ‘‘(B) the face amount of such obligations 

4 outstanding on the date on which the President 

5 submits the applicable certification. 

6 An obligation shall not be taken into account under 

7 subparagraph (A) unless the issuance of such obliga8 tion was necessary to fund a commitment incurred 

9 by the Federal Government that required payment 

10 before the day after the applicable date described in 

11 paragraph (1). 

12 ‘‘(c) JOINT RESOLUTION OF DISAPPROVAL.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in sub14 section (b)(2), the debt limit shall not be increased 

15 under this section if, within 15 calendar days after 

16 Congress receives the certification described in sub17 section (a)(1) (regardless of whether Congress is in 

18 session), there is enacted into law a joint resolution 

19 disapproving the President’s exercise of authority 

20 with respect to such increase. 

21 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS OF JOINT RESOLUTION.—For 

22 the purpose of this section, the term ‘joint resolu23 tion’ means only a joint resolution— 


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1 ‘‘(A) that is introduced between the date a 

2 certification described in subsection (a)(1) is re3 ceived and 3 calendar days after that date; 

4 ‘‘(B) which does not have a preamble; 

5 ‘‘(C) the title of which is only as follows: 

6 ‘Joint resolution relating to the disapproval of 

7 the President’s exercise of authority to increase 

8 the debt limit, as submitted under section 

9 3101B of title 31, United States Code, on 

10 llllll’ (with the blank containing the 

11 date of such submission); and 

12 ‘‘(D) the matter after the resolving clause 

13 of which is only as follows: ‘That Congress dis14 approves of the President’s exercise of authority 

15 to increase the debt limit, as exercised pursuant 

16 to the certification submitted under section 

17 3101B(a) of title 31, United States Code, on 

18 llllll.’ (with the blank containing the 

19 date of such submission). 

20 ‘‘(d) EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION IN HOUSE OF

21 REPRESENTATIVES.— 

22 ‘‘(1) RECONVENING.—Upon receipt of a certifi23 cation described in subsection (a)(1), the Speaker, if 

24 the House would otherwise be adjourned, shall notify 

25 the Members of the House that, pursuant to this 


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1 section, the House shall convene not later than the 

2 second calendar day after receipt of such certifi3 cation. 

4 ‘‘(2) REPORTING AND DISCHARGE.—Any com5 mittee of the House of Representatives to which a 

6 joint resolution is referred shall report it to the 

7 House without amendment not later than 5 calendar 

8 days after the date of introduction of the joint reso9 lution. If a committee fails to report the joint resolu10 tion within that period, the committee shall be dis11 charged from further consideration of the joint reso12 lution and the joint resolution shall be referred to 

13 the appropriate calendar. 

14 ‘‘(3) PROCEEDING TO CONSIDERATION.—After 

15 each committee authorized to consider a joint resolu16 tion reports it to the House or has been discharged 

17 from its consideration, it shall be in order, not later 

18 than the sixth day after introduction of the joint res19 olution, to move to proceed to consider the joint res20 olution in the House. All points of order against the 

21 motion are waived. Such a motion shall not be in 

22 order after the House has disposed of a motion to 

23 proceed on a joint resolution addressing a particular 

24 submission. The previous question shall be consid25 ered as ordered on the motion to its adoption withVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:10 Oct 30, 2013 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1598.IS S1598

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1 out intervening motion. The motion shall not be de2 batable. A motion to reconsider the vote by which 

3 the motion is disposed of shall not be in order. 

4 ‘‘(4) CONSIDERATION.—The joint resolution 

5 shall be considered as read. All points of order 

6 against the joint resolution and against its consider7 ation are waived. The previous question shall be con8 sidered as ordered on the joint resolution to its pas9 sage without intervening motion except 2 hours of 

10 debate equally divided and controlled by the pro11 ponent and an opponent. An amendment to the joint 

12 resolution or a motion to reconsider the vote on pas13 sage of the joint resolution shall not be in order. 

14 ‘‘(e) EXPEDITED PROCEDURE IN SENATE.— 

15 ‘‘(1) RECONVENING.—Upon receipt of a certifi16 cation under subsection (a)(1), if the Senate has ad17 journed or recessed for more than 2 days, the major18 ity leader of the Senate, after consultation with the 

19 minority leader of the Senate, shall notify the Mem20 bers of the Senate that, pursuant to this section, the 

21 Senate shall convene not later than the second cal22 endar day after receipt of such message. 

23 ‘‘(2) PLACEMENT ON CALENDAR.—Upon intro24 duction in the Senate, a joint resolution shall be im25 mediately placed on the calendar. 


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1 ‘‘(3) FLOOR CONSIDERATION.— 

2 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding rule 

3 XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, it is 

4 in order at any time during the period begin5 ning on the day after the date on which Con6 gress receives a certification under subsection 

7 (a)(1) and ending on the sixth day after the 

8 date of introduction of a joint resolution (even 

9 though a previous motion to the same effect has 

10 been disagreed to) to move to proceed to the 

11 consideration of the joint resolution, and all 

12 points of order against the joint resolution (and 

13 against consideration of the joint resolution) 

14 are waived. The motion to proceed is not debat15 able. The motion is not subject to a motion to 

16 postpone. A motion to reconsider the vote by 

17 which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to 

18 shall not be in order. If a motion to proceed to 

19 the consideration of the resolution is agreed to, 

20 the joint resolution shall remain the unfinished 

21 business until disposed of. 

22 ‘‘(B) CONSIDERATION.—Consideration of 

23 the joint resolution, and on all debatable mo24 tions and appeals in connection therewith, shall 

25 be limited to not more than 10 hours, which 


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1 shall be divided equally between the majority 

2 and minority leaders or their designees. A mo3 tion further to limit debate is in order and not 

4 debatable. An amendment to, or a motion to 

5 postpone, or a motion to proceed to the consid6 eration of other business, or a motion to recom7 mit the joint resolution is not in order. 

8 ‘‘(C) VOTE ON PASSAGE.—If the Senate 

9 has voted to proceed to a joint resolution, the 

10 vote on passage of the joint resolution shall 

11 occur immediately following the conclusion of 

12 consideration of the joint resolution, and a sin13 gle quorum call at the conclusion of the debate 

14 if requested in accordance with the rules of the 

15 Senate. 

16 ‘‘(D) RULINGS OF THE CHAIR ON PROCE17 DURE.—Appeals from the decisions of the Chair 

18 relating to the application of the rules of the 

19 Senate, as the case may be, to the procedure re20 lating to a joint resolution shall be decided 

21 without debate. 

22 ‘‘(f) AMENDMENT NOT IN ORDER.—A joint resolu23 tion of disapproval considered pursuant to this section 

24 shall not be subject to amendment in either the House 

25 of Representatives or the Senate. 


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1 ‘‘(g) COORDINATION WITH ACTION BY OTHER

2 HOUSE.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If, before passing the joint 

4 resolution, one House receives from the other a joint 

5 resolution— 

6 ‘‘(A) the joint resolution of the other 

7 House shall not be referred to a committee; and 

8 ‘‘(B) the procedure in the receiving House 

9 shall be the same as if no joint resolution had 

10 been received from the other House, except that 

11 the vote on final passage shall be on the joint 

12 resolution of the other House. 

13 ‘‘(2) TREATMENT OF JOINT RESOLUTION OF

14 OTHER HOUSE.—If the Senate fails to introduce or 

15 consider a joint resolution under this section, the 

16 joint resolution of the House shall be entitled to ex17 pedited floor procedures under this section. 

18 ‘‘(3) TREATMENT OF COMPANION MEASURES.— 

19 If, following passage of the joint resolution in the 

20 Senate, the Senate receives the companion measure 

21 from the House of Representatives, the companion 

22 measure shall not be debatable. 

23 ‘‘(4) CONSIDERATION AFTER PASSAGE.— 

24 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If Congress passes a 

25 joint resolution, the period beginning on the 


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1 date the President is presented with the joint 

2 resolution and ending on the date the President 

3 signs, allows to become law without his signa4 ture, or vetoes and returns the joint resolution 

5 (but excluding days when either House is not in 

6 session) shall be disregarded in computing the 

7 calendar day period described in subsection 

8 (b)(1) or subsection (c)(1). 

9 ‘‘(B) DEBATE.—Debate on a veto message 

10 in the Senate under this section shall be 1 hour 

11 equally divided between the majority and minor12 ity leaders or their designees. 

13 ‘‘(5) VETO OVERRIDE.—If within the calendar 

14 day period described in subsection (c)(1), Congress 

15 overrides a veto of a joint resolution, except as pro16 vided in subsection (b)(2), the limit on debt provided 

17 in section 3101(b) shall not be raised under this sec18 tion. 

19 ‘‘(h) RULES OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND

20 SENATE.—This subsection and subsections (c), (d), (e), 

21 (f), and (g) are enacted by Congress— 

22 ‘‘(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 

23 the Senate and House of Representatives, respec24 tively, and as such it is deemed a part of the rules 

25 of each House, respectively, but applicable only with 


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1 respect to the procedure to be followed in that 

2 House in the case of a joint resolution, and it super3 sedes other rules only to the extent that it is incon4 sistent with such rules; and 

5 ‘‘(2) with full recognition of the constitutional 

6 right of either House to change the rules (so far as 

7 relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 

8 in the same manner, and to the same extent as in 

9 the case of any other rule of that House.’’. 

10 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec11 tions for chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, is 

12 amended by inserting after the item relating to section 

13 3101A the following: 

‘‘3101B. Additional Presidential modification of the debt ceiling.’’. 

Æ 


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