I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3807 
To provide a process for ensuring the United States does not default on 
its obligations. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 22, 2015 
Mr. HONDA (for himself, Mr. HINOJOSA, Ms. LEE, Mr. SWALWELL of Cali-
fornia, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. BEYER, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. 
COSTA, Ms. MOORE, Mr. TAKAI, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. 
CARTWRIGHT, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. 
LOFGREN, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. PINGREE, and Mr. RANGEL) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 
Means, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, 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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To provide a process for ensuring the United States does 
not default on its obligations. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pay Our Bills Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL PRESIDENTIAL MODIFICATION OF THE 
DEBT CEILING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 31 of 
subtitle III of title 31, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in section 3101(b), by inserting ‘‘or 3101B’’ 
after ‘‘section 3101A’’; and 
(2) by inserting after section 3101A the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 3101B. Additional Presidential modification of the 
debt ceiling 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(1) CERTIFICATION.—If the President submits 
a written certification to Congress that the Presi-
dent has determined that the debt subject to limit 
is within $100,000,000,000 of the limit under sec-
tion 3101(b) and that further borrowing, in an 
amount specified in the certification, is required to 
meet existing commitments, the Secretary of the 
Treasury may, unless a joint resolution of dis-
approval is enacted pursuant to this section, exercise 
authority to borrow an additional amount equal to 
the amount specified in the certification. 
‘‘(2) RESOLUTION OF DISAPPROVAL.—Congress 
may consider a joint resolution of disapproval of the 
authority under paragraph (1) as provided in sub-
sections (c) through (g). If the time for disapproval 
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has lapsed without enactment of a joint resolution of 
disapproval under this section, the debt limit is in-
creased by the amount authorized under paragraph 
(1). 
‘‘(b) SUSPENSION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 3101(b) shall not 
apply for the period beginning on the date on which 
the President submits to Congress a certification 
under subsection (a) and ending on the earlier of— 
‘‘(A) the date that is 15 calendar days 
after Congress receives the certification, deter-
mined in accordance with subsection (g)(4)(A); 
or 
‘‘(B) the date of enactment of a joint reso-
lution disapproving the President’s exercise of 
authority with respect to the debt limit under 
that certification. 
‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULE RELATING TO OBLIGATIONS 
ISSUED DURING SUSPENSION PERIOD.—Effective on 
the day after the applicable date described in para-
graph (1), the limitation in section 3101(b), as in-
creased under any provision of law, is increased to 
the extent that— 
‘‘(A) the face amount of obligations issued 
under this chapter and the face amount of obli-
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gations whose principal and interest are guar-
anteed by the United States Government (ex-
cept guaranteed obligations held by the Sec-
retary of the Treasury) outstanding on the cal-
endar day after the date described in paragraph 
(1) of this subsection, exceeds 
‘‘(B) the face amount of such obligations 
outstanding on the date on which the President 
submits the applicable certification. 
An obligation shall not be taken into account under 
subparagraph (A) unless the issuance of such obliga-
tion was necessary to fund a commitment incurred 
by the Federal Government that required payment 
before the day after the applicable date described in 
paragraph (1). 
‘‘(c) JOINT RESOLUTION OF DISAPPROVAL.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in sub-
section (b)(2), the debt limit shall not be increased 
under this section if, within 15 calendar days after 
Congress receives the certification described in sub-
section (a)(1) (regardless of whether Congress is in 
session), there is enacted into law a joint resolution 
disapproving the President’s exercise of authority 
with respect to such increase. 
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‘‘(2) CONTENTS OF JOINT RESOLUTION.—For 
the purpose of this section, the term ‘joint resolu-
tion’ means only a joint resolution— 
‘‘(A) that is introduced between the date a 
certification described in subsection (a)(1) is re-
ceived and 3 calendar days after that date; 
‘‘(B) which does not have a preamble; 
‘‘(C) the title of which is only as follows: 
‘Joint resolution relating to the disapproval of 
the President’s exercise of authority to increase 
the debt limit, as submitted under section 
3101B of title 31, United States Code, on 
llllll.’ (with the blank containing the 
date of such submission); and 
‘‘(D) the matter after the resolving clause 
of which is only as follows: ‘That Congress dis-
approves of the President’s exercise of authority 
to increase the debt limit, as exercised pursuant 
to the certification submitted under section 
3101B(a) of title 31, United States Code, on 
llllll.’ (with the blank containing the 
date of such submission). 
‘‘(d) EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION
IN HOUSE
OF 
REPRESENTATIVES.— 
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‘‘(1) RECONVENING.—Upon receipt of a certifi-
cation described in subsection (a)(1), the Speaker, if 
the House would otherwise be adjourned, shall notify 
the Members of the House that, pursuant to this 
section, the House shall convene not later than the 
second calendar day after receipt of such certifi-
cation. 
‘‘(2) REPORTING AND DISCHARGE.—Any com-
mittee of the House of Representatives to which a 
joint resolution is referred shall report it to the 
House without amendment not later than 5 calendar 
days after the date of introduction of the joint reso-
lution. If a committee fails to report the joint resolu-
tion within that period, the committee shall be dis-
charged from further consideration of the joint reso-
lution and the joint resolution shall be referred to 
the appropriate calendar. 
‘‘(3) PROCEEDING TO CONSIDERATION.—After 
each committee authorized to consider a joint resolu-
tion reports it to the House or has been discharged 
from its consideration, it shall be in order, not later 
than the sixth day after introduction of the joint res-
olution, to move to proceed to consider the joint res-
olution in the House. All points of order against the 
motion are waived. Such a motion shall not be in 
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order after the House has disposed of a motion to 
proceed on a joint resolution addressing a particular 
submission. The previous question shall be consid-
ered as ordered on the motion to its adoption with-
out intervening motion. The motion shall not be de-
batable. A motion to reconsider the vote by which 
the motion is disposed of shall not be in order. 
‘‘(4) CONSIDERATION.—The joint resolution 
shall be considered as read. All points of order 
against the joint resolution and against its consider-
ation are waived. The previous question shall be con-
sidered as ordered on the joint resolution to its pas-
sage without intervening motion except 2 hours of 
debate equally divided and controlled by the pro-
ponent and an opponent. An amendment to the joint 
resolution or a motion to reconsider the vote on pas-
sage of the joint resolution shall not be in order. 
‘‘(e) EXPEDITED PROCEDURE IN SENATE.— 
‘‘(1) RECONVENING.—Upon receipt of a certifi-
cation under subsection (a)(1), if the Senate has ad-
journed or recessed for more than 2 days, the major-
ity leader of the Senate, after consultation with the 
minority leader of the Senate, shall notify the Mem-
bers of the Senate that, pursuant to this section, the 
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Senate shall convene not later than the second cal-
endar day after receipt of such message. 
‘‘(2) PLACEMENT ON CALENDAR.—Upon intro-
duction in the Senate, a joint resolution shall be im-
mediately placed on the calendar. 
‘‘(3) FLOOR CONSIDERATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding rule 
XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, it is 
in order at any time during the period begin-
ning on the day after the date on which Con-
gress receives a certification under subsection 
(a)(1) and ending on the sixth day after the 
date of introduction of a joint resolution (even 
though a previous motion to the same effect has 
been disagreed to) to move to proceed to the 
consideration of the joint resolution, and all 
points of order against the joint resolution (and 
against consideration of the joint resolution) 
are waived. The motion to proceed is not debat-
able. The motion is not subject to a motion to 
postpone. A motion to reconsider the vote by 
which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to 
shall not be in order. If a motion to proceed to 
the consideration of the resolution is agreed to, 
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the joint resolution shall remain the unfinished 
business until disposed of. 
‘‘(B) CONSIDERATION.—Consideration of 
the joint resolution, and on all debatable mo-
tions and appeals in connection therewith, shall 
be limited to not more than 10 hours, which 
shall be divided equally between the majority 
and minority leaders or their designees. A mo-
tion further to limit debate is in order and not 
debatable. An amendment to, or a motion to 
postpone, or a motion to proceed to the consid-
eration of other business, or a motion to recom-
mit the joint resolution is not in order. 
‘‘(C) VOTE ON PASSAGE.—If the Senate 
has voted to proceed to a joint resolution, the 
vote on passage of the joint resolution shall 
occur immediately following the conclusion of 
consideration of the joint resolution, and a sin-
gle quorum call at the conclusion of the debate 
if requested in accordance with the rules of the 
Senate. 
‘‘(D) RULINGS OF THE CHAIR ON PROCE-
DURE.—Appeals from the decisions of the Chair 
relating to the application of the rules of the 
Senate, as the case may be, to the procedure re-
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lating to a joint resolution shall be decided 
without debate. 
‘‘(f) AMENDMENT NOT IN ORDER.—A joint resolu-
tion of disapproval considered pursuant to this section 
shall not be subject to amendment in either the House 
of Representatives or the Senate. 
‘‘(g) COORDINATION
WITH
ACTION
BY
OTHER 
HOUSE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If, before passing the joint 
resolution, one House receives from the other a joint 
resolution— 
‘‘(A) the joint resolution of the other 
House shall not be referred to a committee; and 
‘‘(B) the procedure in the receiving House 
shall be the same as if no joint resolution had 
been received from the other House, except that 
the vote on final passage shall be on the joint 
resolution of the other House. 
‘‘(2) TREATMENT
OF
JOINT
RESOLUTION
OF 
OTHER HOUSE.—If the Senate fails to introduce or 
consider a joint resolution under this section, the 
joint resolution of the House shall be entitled to ex-
pedited floor procedures under this section. 
‘‘(3) TREATMENT OF COMPANION MEASURES.— 
If, following passage of the joint resolution in the 
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Senate, the Senate receives the companion measure 
from the House of Representatives, the companion 
measure shall not be debatable. 
‘‘(4) CONSIDERATION AFTER PASSAGE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If Congress passes a 
joint resolution, the period beginning on the 
date the President is presented with the joint 
resolution and ending on the date the President 
signs, allows to become law without his signa-
ture, or vetoes and returns the joint resolution 
(but excluding days when either House is not in 
session) shall be disregarded in computing the 
calendar day period described in subsection 
(b)(1) or subsection (c)(1). 
‘‘(B) DEBATE.—Debate on a veto message 
in the Senate under this section shall be 1 hour 
equally divided between the majority and minor-
ity leaders or their designees. 
‘‘(5) VETO OVERRIDE.—If within the calendar 
day period described in subsection (c)(1), Congress 
overrides a veto of a joint resolution, except as pro-
vided in subsection (b)(2), the limit on debt provided 
in section 3101(b) shall not be raised under this sec-
tion. 
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‘‘(h) RULES OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND 
SENATE.—This subsection and subsections (c), (d), (e), 
(f), and (g) are enacted by Congress— 
‘‘(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 
the Senate and House of Representatives, respec-
tively, and as such it is deemed a part of the rules 
of each House, respectively, but applicable only with 
respect to the procedure to be followed in that 
House in the case of a joint resolution, and it super-
sedes other rules only to the extent that it is incon-
sistent with such rules; and 
‘‘(2) with full recognition of the constitutional 
right of either House to change the rules (so far as 
relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 
in the same manner, and to the same extent as in 
the case of any other rule of that House.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
3101A the following: 
‘‘3101B. Additional Presidential modification of the debt ceiling.’’. 
Æ 
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