I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2496 

To specify that in the event that the debt ceiling is reached, the United 

States shall prioritize the payment of pay and allowances to members 

of the Armed Forces, including reserve components thereof, and the 

payment of obligations on the public debt, and to appropriate such 

funds as may be necessary to ensure that members of the Armed Forces, 

including reserve components thereof, continue to receive pay and allowances for active service performed when a funding gap occurs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 12, 2011 

Mr. KING of Iowa (for himself, Mr. GOHMERT, and Mrs. BACHMANN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways 

and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services and 

Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 specify that in the event that the debt ceiling is reached, 

the United States shall prioritize the payment of pay 

and allowances to members of the Armed Forces, including reserve components thereof, and the payment of obligations on the public debt, and to appropriate such funds 

as may be necessary to ensure that members of the 

Armed Forces, including reserve components thereof, 

continue to receive pay and allowances for active service 

performed when a funding gap occurs. 


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•HR 2496 IH

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 ‘‘Payment Reliability 

5 for our Obligations to Military and Investors to Secure 

6 Essential Stability Act’’ or the ‘‘PROMISES Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. PRIORITY OF PAYMENTS IF THE DEBT CEILING IS 

8 REACHED. 

9 In the event that the debt of the United States Gov10 ernment, as defined in section 3101 of title 31, United 

11 States Code, reaches the statutory limit, amounts nec12 essary for obligations incurred by the Government of the 

13 United States shall be made available to the following obli14 gations before all other obligations and shall be made 

15 available as prioritized in the following order (with items 

16 listed in descending order of prioritization): 

17 (1) Such amounts as the Secretary of Defense 

18 (and the Secretary of Homeland Security in the case 

19 of the Coast Guard) determines to be necessary to 

20 continue to provide pay and allowances (without 

21 interruption) to members of the Army, Navy, Air 

22 Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, including 

23 reserve components thereof, who perform active serv24 ice. 


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•HR 2496 IH

1 (2) Amounts necessary to carry out the author2 ity of the Department of the Treasury provided in 

3 section 3123 of title 31, United States Code, to pay 

4 with legal tender the principal and interest on debt 

5 held by the public. 

6 SEC. 3. EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS TO PRO7 VIDE PAY AND ALLOWANCES FOR MEMBERS 

8 OF THE ARMED FORCES DURING FUNDING 

9 GAP IMPACTING THE DEPARTMENT OF DE10 FENSE OR DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SE11 CURITY. 

12 (a) APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS FOR MILITARY PAY

13 AND ALLOWANCES.—During a funding gap impacting the 

14 Armed Forces, the Secretary of the Treasury shall make 

15 available to the Secretary of Defense (and the Secretary 

16 of Homeland Security in the case of the Coast Guard), 

17 out of any amounts in the general fund of the Treasury 

18 not otherwise appropriated, such amounts as the Secretary 

19 of Defense (and the Secretary of Homeland Security in 

20 the case of the Coast Guard) determines to be necessary 

21 to continue to provide pay and allowances (without inter22 ruption) to members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Ma23 rine Corps, and Coast Guard, including reserve compo24 nents thereof, who perform active service during the fund25 ing gap. 


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•HR 2496 IH

1 (b) FUNDING GAP DEFINED.—In this section, the 

2 term ‘‘funding gap’’ means any period of time after the 

3 beginning of a fiscal year for which interim or full-year 

4 appropriations for the personnel accounts of the Armed 

5 Forces for that fiscal year have not been enacted. 

Æ 


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