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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 3717

To allow for moderate growth of mandatory spending.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOVEMBER 22, 1993

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

Committees on Government Operations and Rules

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;

11 (3) over the next five years, mandatory spend12 ing will grow by $5,400,000,000,000 over and above
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1 inflation increases and increases for new bene2 ficiaries;

3 (4) the Federal budget deficit, projected to ex4 ceed $650,000,000,000 in 2003, will continue to ex5 pand unless the growth in mandatory spending is

6 brought under control; and

7 (5) the current budget process does not provide

8 adequate controls on the growth of mandatory

9 spending.

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

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

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

13 individual mandatory program except Social Security shall

14 not exceed a level that is—

15 (1) adjusted for beneficiary and inflation

16 growth, plus

17 (2) 2 percent for fiscal year 1994 and 1 percent

18 for fiscal year 1995.

19 (b) CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET.—

20 (1) BUDGET RESOLUTION.—The congressional

21 budget resolution for a fiscal year shall not provide

22 mandatory funding levels that exceed levels estab23 lished in subsection (a).

24 (2) POINT OF ORDER.—It shall not be in order

25 in the Senate or the House of Representatives to
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1 consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or con2 ference report if such bill, resolution, amendment, or

3 conference report would cause mandatory funding

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

5 This point of order may only be waived or suspended

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

7 and sworn.

8 (c) IMPLEMENTATION.—

9 (1) PRESIDENT’S REPORT AND RECOMMENDA10 TIONS.—If in any fiscal year the President projects

11 that the spending for any mandatory program will

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

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

14 recommend to the Congress legislative changes, in15 cluding changes in eligibility for benefits, to address

16 the mandatory spending overages, if any, in the

17 prior, current, or budget year.

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

19 President’s recommendations are submitted, the

20 Congress shall make relevant changes in laws to re21 duce the mandatory spending to the cap levels as re22 quired under subsection (a).

23 (3) SEQUESTER.—Notwithstanding any other

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

25 changes in laws, there shall be a sequester in any
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1 fiscal year to reduce spending for mandatory pro2 grams except Social Security if such an individual

3 program exceeded the cap levels established in sub4 section (a). Such sequester shall institute pro rata

5 reduction of all benefit payments made under pro6 grams subject to the provisions of this Act.

7 SEC. 3. DEFINITION.

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

9 mandatory program’’ means a program that makes pay10 ments to any person, business, or unit of government that

11 seeks the payments and that meets eligibility criteria es12 tablished by law. The term includes—

13 (1) Farm Price Supports;

14 (2) Family Social Services—Foster Care and

15 Adoption Assistance;

16 (3) Guaranteed Student Loan Program;

17 (4) Medicaid;

18 (5) Hospital Insurance;

19 (6) Supplemental Medical Insurance;

20 (7) Railroad Retirement;

21 (8) Civil Service Pensions;

22 (9) Military Pensions;

23 (10) Unemployment Compensation;

24 (11) Child Nutrition Program;

25 (12) Supplemental Security Income;
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1 (13) Family Support Pay;

2 (14) Veteran’s Compensation and Pensions;

3 (15) Food Stamps;

4 (16) Housing Assistance;

5 (17) Vocational Rehabilitation;

6 (18) Readjustment Benefits;

7 (19) FDIC and FSLIC; and

8 (20) other mandatory spending programs under

9 categories established by the Congressional Budget

10 Office.

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