III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 44 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 4, 2021 

Received; referred to the Committee on the Budget 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Providing for a joint hearing of the Committees on the 

Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate 

to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General 

of the United States regarding the audited financial 

statement of the executive branch. 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Fiscal State of 

5 the Nation Resolution’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ANNUAL JOINT HEARING OF BUDGET COMMITTEES 

7 TO RECEIVE A PRESENTATION BY THE COMP8 TROLLER GENERAL. 


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1 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 45 days (excluding 

2 Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) after the date on which 

3 the Secretary of the Treasury submits to Congress the au4 dited financial statement required under paragraph (1) of 

5 section 331(e) of title 31, United States Code, on a date 

6 agreed upon by the chairs of the Committees on the Budg7 et of the House of Representatives and the Senate (here8 after referred to as the ‘‘Budget Committees’’) and the 

9 Comptroller General of the United States, the Budget 

10 Committees shall hold a joint hearing (hereafter referred 

11 to as the ‘‘Joint Hearing’’) to receive a presentation from 

12 the Comptroller General reviewing the findings of the 

13 audit required under paragraph (2) of such section and 

14 providing, with respect to the information included by the 

15 Secretary in the report accompanying such audited finan16 cial statement, an analysis of the financial position and 

17 condition of the Federal Government, including financial 

18 measures (such as the net operating cost, income, budget 

19 deficits, or budget surpluses) and sustainability measures 

20 (such as the long-term fiscal projection or social insurance 

21 projection) described in such report. 

22 (b) PRESENTATION OF STATEMENT IN ACCORDANCE

23 WITH GAO STRATEGIES AND MEANS.—The Comptroller 

24 General of the United States shall ensure that the presen25 tation at the Joint Hearing is made in accordance with 


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1 the Strategies and Means of the Government Account2 ability Office, so that the presentation will provide profes3 sional, objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, nonideological, 

4 fair, and balanced information to the members attending 

5 the Joint Hearing. 

6 (c) RULES APPLICABLE TO JOINT HEARING.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para8 graphs (2) and (3), the Joint Hearing shall be sub9 ject to rules agreed to by the chairs of the Budget 

10 Committees. 

11 (2) OPEN HEARING.—The Joint Hearing shall 

12 be open to the public, including to radio, television, 

13 and still photography coverage. 

14 (3) ATTENDANCE.—The Joint Hearing shall 

15 accommodate non-participatory attendance by any 

16 Senator and any Member of the House of Represent17 atives, including any Delegate or Resident Commis18 sioner to the Congress. 

19 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The requirement under sub20 section (a) shall apply with respect to any audited 


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1 financial statement submitted on or after the date of the 

2 enactment of this resolution. 

Passed the House of Representatives November 3, 

2021. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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