I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4262 
To amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require a two-thirds 
recorded vote in the House of Representatives and in the Senate to 
increase the statutory limit on the public debt, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 10, 2009 
Mr. SCALISE (for himself, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. POSEY, Mr. THOMPSON of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. AKIN, Mr. WAMP, Mr. BROUN of Georgia, Mr. 
HUNTER, Ms. FALLIN, Mr. LEE of New York, Mr. GINGREY of Georgia, 
Mr. PITTS, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. 
FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. COLE, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. 
GOHMERT, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. BARTLETT, 
Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. CHAFFETZ, Mr. FLEMING, Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. 
PAULSEN, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Mr. CARTER, Mr. GRAVES, Mr. ROO-
NEY, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. 
BRADY of Texas, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. PAUL, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. WILSON 
of South Carolina, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. JONES, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Mrs. 
CAPITO, Mr. INGLIS, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky, Mr. JORDAN 
of Ohio, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. CULBERSON, and Mr. HELLER) intro-
duced 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 subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require 
a two-thirds recorded vote in the House of Representa-
tives and in the Senate to increase the statutory limit 
on the public debt, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Control America’s 
Purse-strings to Deliver a Better Tomorrow Act’’ or the 
‘‘CAP the DEBT Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TWO-THIRDS RECORDED VOTE REQUIRED TO IN-
CREASE STATUTORY LIMIT ON THE PUBLIC 
DEBT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section: 
‘‘TWO-THIRDS RECORDED VOTE REQUIRED TO INCREASE 
STATUTORY LIMIT ON THE PUBLIC DEBT 
‘‘SEC. 316. (a) IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIVES.—(1) It shall not be in order in the House of Rep-
resentatives to consider any bill or joint resolution, or 
amendment thereto or conference report thereon, that in-
creases the statutory limit on the public debt if there is 
any other matter in such measure. 
‘‘(2) A bill or joint resolution, or amendment thereto 
or conference report thereon, that increases the statutory 
limit on the public debt may not be considered as passed 
or agreed to in the House of Representatives unless so 
determined by a recorded vote of not less than two-thirds 
of the Members voting, a quorum being present. 
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‘‘(b) IN THE SENATE.—(1) It shall not be in order 
in the Senate to consider any bill or joint resolution, or 
amendment thereto or conference report thereon, that in-
creases the statutory limit on the public debt if there is 
any other matter in such measure. 
‘‘(2) A bill or joint resolution, or amendment thereto 
or conference report thereon, that increases the statutory 
limit on the public debt may not be considered as passed 
or agreed to in the Senate unless so determined by a roll 
call vote of not less than two-thirds of the Members voting, 
a quorum being present. 
‘‘(3) An affirmative roll call vote of two-thirds of the 
Members, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required in the 
Senate to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on 
a point of order raised under this subsection.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents set forth in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget 
and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended by in-
serting after the item relating to section 315 the following 
new item: 
‘‘Sec. 316. Two-thirds recorded vote required to increase statutory limit on the 
public debt.’’. 
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SEC. 3. REPEAL OF THE GEPHARDT RULE. 
Rule XXVIII of the Rules of the House of Represent-
atives (relating to the statutory limit on the public debt) 
is repealed and rule XXIX is redesignated as rule XXVIII. 
Æ 
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