I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4021 

To suspend the application of the limit on the Nation’s debt for a 10- 

year period, to reduce the pay of Members of Congress for failing 

to meet fiscal sustainability targets, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 10, 2014 

Mr. BARR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 

such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To suspend the application of the limit on the Nation’s 

debt for a 10-year period, to reduce the pay of Members 

of Congress for failing to meet fiscal sustainability targets, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Debt Limit Reform 

5 and Congressional Pay for Performance Act of 2014’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. SUSPENSION OF DEBT LIMIT. 

2 (a) SUSPENSION.—Section 3101(b) of title 31, 

3 United States Code, shall not apply for the period begin4 ning on February 8, 2014, and ending on April 15, 2024. 

5 (b) SPECIAL RULE RELATING TO OBLIGATIONS

6 ISSUED DURING SUSPENSION PERIOD.—Effective on 

7 April 16, 2024, the limitation in section 3101(b) of title 

8 31, United States Code, is increased to the extent that— 

9 (1) the face amount of obligations issued under 

10 chapter 31 of such title and the face amount of obli11 gations whose principal and interest are guaranteed 

12 by the United States Government (except guaran13 teed obligations held by the Secretary of the Treas14 ury) outstanding on April 16, 2024, exceeds 

15 (2) the face amount of such obligations out16 standing on the date of enactment of this Act. 

17 (c) LIMITATION.—An obligation shall not be taken 

18 into account under subsection (b)(1) unless the issuance 

19 of such obligation was necessary to fund a commitment 

20 incurred by the Federal Government that required pay21 ment before April 16, 2024. 

22 SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY TAR23 GETS. 

24 (a) DETERMINATIONS.—On December 31 of each of 

25 calendar years 2015 through 2023, the Director of the Of26 fice of Management and Budget shall determine— 


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1 (1) the sum of the face amount of obligations 

2 issued under chapter 31 of title 31, United States 

3 Code, and the face amount of obligations whose 

4 principal and interest are guaranteed by the United 

5 States Government (except guaranteed obligations 

6 held by the Secretary of the Treasury), outstanding 

7 at any time, with respect to the most recent fiscal 

8 year which ended before the calendar year; 

9 (2) the amount which is equal to the applicable 

10 percentage (as described in subsection (b)) of the 

11 Gross Domestic Product determined by the Sec12 retary of Commerce with respect to such fiscal year; 

13 and 

14 (3) if the amount determined under paragraph 

15 (1) with respect to a fiscal year exceeds the amount 

16 determined under paragraph (2) with respect to 

17 such fiscal year, the percentage by which the amount 

18 determined under paragraph (1) exceeds the amount 

19 determined under paragraph (2). 

20 (b) APPLICABLE PERCENTAGES DESCRIBED.—For 

21 purposes of subsection (a)(2), the applicable percentage 

22 with respect to a fiscal year is as follows: 

23 (1) For fiscal year 2015, 74.1 percent. 

24 (2) For fiscal year 2016, 70.4 percent. 

25 (3) For fiscal year 2017, 66.9 percent. 


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1 (4) For fiscal year 2018, 64.4 percent. 

2 (5) For fiscal year 2019, 62.4 percent. 

3 (6) For fiscal year 2020, 60.5 percent. 

4 (7) For fiscal year 2021, 58.7 percent. 

5 (8) For fiscal year 2022, 56.9 percent. 

6 (9) For fiscal year 2023, 54.8 percent. 

7 SEC. 4. REDUCTION IN PAY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 

8 FOR FAILURE TO MEET FISCAL SUSTAIN9 ABILITY TARGETS. 

10 (a) REDUCTION.—Section 601(a)(2) of the Legisla11 tive Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501(2)) is 

12 amended by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(C) If the Director of the Office of Management and 

14 Budget determines that the amount determined under 

15 paragraph (1) of section 3(a) of the Debt Limit Reform 

16 and Congressional Pay for Performance Act of 2014 with 

17 respect to a fiscal year exceeds the amount determined 

18 under paragraph (2) of section 3(a) of such Act with re19 spect to such fiscal year— 

20 ‘‘(i) each annual rate of pay referred to in para21 graph (1) shall be reduced by the percentage deter22 mined by the Director of the Office of Management 

23 and Budget under section 3(a)(3) of the Debt Limit 

24 Reform and Congressional Pay for Performance Act 

25 of 2014 for all pay periods occurring during the next 


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1 calendar year which begins after that fiscal year; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(ii) no adjustment may be made under sub4 paragraph (A) in any such rate of pay during that 

5 next calendar year.’’. 

6 (b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 601(a)(2)(A) 

7 of such Act is amended by striking ‘‘Subject to subpara8 graph (B),’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject to subparagraphs (B) 

9 and (C),’’. 

10 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

11 this section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2015 

12 and each succeeding fiscal year. 

Æ 


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