I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1383 
To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 
to provide for long-term debt limits, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 25, 2021 
Mr. STEWART (for himself, Mr. OWENS, Mr. CURTIS, and Mr. FEENSTRA) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Rules, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Con-
trol Act of 1974 to provide for long-term debt limits, 
and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Debt Control Through 
Budget Reconciliation Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. LONG-TERM DEBT LIMITS. 
(a) LONG-TERM DEBT LIMITS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Congressional Budget 
and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended 
by adding after section 315 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 316. LONG-TERM DEBT LIMITS. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to es-
tablish long-term limits on debt held by the public that 
are enforced through a special reconciliation process sepa-
rate and distinct from the process set forth in section 310. 
‘‘(b) LONG-TERM DEBT LIMITS.—The total amount 
of estimated debt held by the public as a percentage of 
the estimated nominal gross domestic product of the 
United States for each fiscal year set forth below is as 
follows: 
‘‘Fiscal Year: 
Debt to GDP ratio: 
2022 
101% 
2023 
99% 
2024 
98% 
2025 
96% 
2026 
94% 
2027 
92% 
2028 
90% 
2029 
88% 
2030 
87% 
2031 
85% 
2032 
83% 
2033 
81% 
2034 
79% 
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‘‘Fiscal Year: 
Debt to GDP ratio: 
2035 
77% 
2036 
76% 
2037 
74% 
2038 
72% 
2039 
70% 
2040 
68% 
2041 
66% 
2042 
65% 
2043 
63% 
2044 
61% 
2045 
59% 
2046 
57% 
2047 
55% 
2048 
54% 
2049 
52% 
2050 
50% 
‘‘(c) SPECIAL RECONCILIATION PROCEDURE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
after a concurrent resolution on the budget has been 
agreed to that contains directives regarding the ratio 
described 
in 
section 
310(a)(8) 
recommending 
changes to the Committee on the Budget of the 
House of Representatives or the Senate (as applica-
ble), the committee shall report to the House or Sen-
ate special reconciliation legislation carrying out all 
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such recommendations without any substantive revi-
sion. 
‘‘(2) FAILURE
TO
REPORT
COMPLIANT
REC-
OMMENDATIONS.—If 1 or more committees do not 
report recommendations that comply with paragraph 
(1), the Committee on the Budget of the House of 
Representatives or the Senate (as applicable)— 
‘‘(A) shall report the special reconciliation 
legislation carrying out all reported rec-
ommendations that comply with such para-
graph, without any substantive revision; and 
‘‘(B) may include in the legislation re-
ported under subparagraph (A) changes in laws 
within the jurisdiction of each noncompliant 
committee, if the changes in law comply with 
such paragraph. 
‘‘(d) LIMITS ON SPECIAL RECONCILIATION BILLS.— 
‘‘(1) EXTRANEOUS MATERIAL.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—It shall not be in 
order in the Senate to consider any provision in 
legislation reported under subsection (c) that 
contains material extraneous (within the mean-
ing given that term under section 313) to the 
directives to the applicable committee. 
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‘‘(B) POINT OF ORDER SUSTAINED.—If a 
point of order is made by a Senator against a 
provision described in subparagraph (A), and 
the point of order is sustained by the Chair, 
that provision shall be stricken from the meas-
ure and may not be offered as an amendment 
from the floor. 
‘‘(C) CONFERENCE REPORTS.—When the 
Senate is considering a conference report on, or 
an amendment between the Houses in relation 
to, legislation reported under subsection (c), 
upon a point of order being made by any Sen-
ator pursuant to subparagraph (A), and such 
point of order being sustained, such material 
contained in such conference report or House 
amendment shall be stricken, and the Senate 
shall proceed to consider the question of wheth-
er the Senate shall recede from its amendment 
and concur with a further amendment, or con-
cur in the House amendment with a further 
amendment, as the case may be, which further 
amendment shall consist of only that portion of 
the conference report or House amendment, as 
the case may be, not so stricken. Any such mo-
tion in the Senate shall be debatable. In any 
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case in which such point of order is sustained 
against a conference report (or Senate amend-
ment derived from such conference report by 
operation of this subparagraph), no further 
amendment shall be in order. 
‘‘(D) FORM OF THE POINT OF ORDER.—A 
point of order under subparagraph (A) may be 
raised by a Senator as provided in section 
313(e). 
‘‘(E) SUPERMAJORITY
WAIVER
AND
AP-
PEAL.—In the Senate, this paragraph may be 
waived or suspended only by an affirmative vote 
of three-fifths of the Members, duly chosen and 
sworn. An affirmative vote of three-fifths of 
Members of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn 
shall be required to sustain an appeal of the 
ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised 
under this paragraph. 
‘‘(2) DEFICIT REDUCTION REQUIRED.— 
‘‘(A) EACH
TITLE
REDUCES
THE
DEF-
ICIT.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—It shall not be in 
order the House of Representatives or the 
Senate to consider any title in legislation 
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reported under subsection (c) that would 
increase the deficit over— 
‘‘(I) the period during which the 
level of deficit reduction specified in 
this section is to be achieved; or 
‘‘(II) the period covered by the 
most recently agreed to concurrent 
resolution on the budget. 
‘‘(ii) POINT OF ORDER SUSTAINED.— 
If a point of order is made by a Senator 
or Member against a title described in 
clause (i), and the point of order is sus-
tained by the Chair, that title shall be 
stricken from the measure and may not be 
offered as an amendment from the floor. 
‘‘(iii) FORM
OF
THE
POINT
OF 
ORDER.—A point of order under clause (i) 
may be raised by a Senator as provided in 
section 313(e). 
‘‘(iv) CONFERENCE REPORTS.—When 
the Senate or House of Representatives is 
considering a conference report on, or an 
amendment between the Houses in relation 
to, a bill or joint resolution, upon a point 
of order being made by any Senator or 
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Member pursuant to clause (i), and such 
point of order being sustained, such mate-
rial contained in such conference report or 
House or Senate amendment shall be 
stricken, and the Senate or House shall 
proceed to consider the question of whether 
the Senate or House shall recede from its 
amendment and concur with a further 
amendment, or concur in the House or 
Senate amendment with a further amend-
ment, as the case may be, which further 
amendment shall consist of only that por-
tion of the conference report or House or 
Senate amendment, as the case may be, 
not so stricken. Any such motion in the 
Senate or House shall be debatable. In any 
case in which such point of order is sus-
tained against a conference report (or Sen-
ate or House amendment derived from 
such conference report by operation of this 
clause), no further amendment shall be in 
order. 
‘‘(v) SUPERMAJORITY
WAIVER
AND 
APPEAL.—In the Senate, this subpara-
graph may be waived or suspended only by 
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an affirmative vote of three-fifths of the 
Members, duly chosen and sworn. An af-
firmative vote of three-fifths of Members of 
the Senate, duly chosen and sworn shall be 
required to sustain an appeal of the ruling 
of the Chair on a point of order raised 
under this subparagraph. 
‘‘(B) NO
AMENDMENTS
REDUCING
THE 
AMOUNT OF DEFICIT REDUCTION.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—It shall not be in 
order in the House of Representatives or 
the Senate to consider an amendment to 
legislation reported under subsection (c) 
that would reduce the amount of the de-
crease in the deficit, as compared to the 
legislation as reported by the Committee 
on the Budget of the House or the Senate 
(as applicable), over— 
‘‘(I) the period during which the 
level of deficit reduction specified in 
this section is to be achieved; or 
‘‘(II) the period covered by the 
most recently agreed to concurrent 
resolution on the budget. 
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‘‘(ii) SUPERMAJORITY
WAIVER
AND 
APPEAL.—In the Senate, this subpara-
graph may be waived or suspended only by 
an affirmative vote of three-fifths of the 
Members, duly chosen and sworn. An af-
firmative vote of three-fifths of Members of 
the Senate, duly chosen and sworn shall be 
required to sustain an appeal of the ruling 
of the Chair on a point of order raised 
under this subparagraph. 
‘‘(e) CONSIDERATION OF SPECIAL RECONCILIATION 
BILLS.— 
‘‘(1) DEADLINE.—Not later than 50 days after 
a concurrent resolution on the budget has been 
agreed to, of any calendar year, the House of Rep-
resentatives or the Senate shall proceed to consider-
ation of legislation reported under subsection (c). 
‘‘(2) PROCEDURES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), and subject to subsection 
(d), if the Committee on the Budget of the 
House of Representatives or the Senate (as ap-
plicable) reports legislation under subsection 
(c), the provisions of section 305 for the consid-
eration in the House or Senate of concurrent 
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resolutions on the budget and conference re-
ports thereon shall also apply to the consider-
ation in the House or Senate of such legislation 
and conference reports thereon. 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTIONS.— 
‘‘(i) DEBATE.—Debate in the Senate 
on any legislation reported under sub-
section (c), and all amendments thereto 
and debatable motions and appeals in con-
nection therewith, shall be limited to not 
more than 20 hours. 
‘‘(ii) AMENDMENTS.—Paragraph (6) 
of section 305(b) shall not apply to legisla-
tion reported under subsection (c). 
‘‘(C) VETOES.—If the President vetoes leg-
islation reported under subsection (c), in the 
Senate there shall be not more than 1 hour of 
debate on the veto message, equally divided be-
tween the majority and minority leaders or 
their designees. 
‘‘(3) SPECIAL
RULES
FOR
REVENUE
MEAS-
URES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If the legislation re-
ported under subsection (c) is a revenue meas-
ure, the majority leader shall submit for publi-
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