I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4634 
To provide a process for ensuring the United States does not default on 
its obligations. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 23, 2025 
Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees 
on Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
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 ‘‘Debt Ceiling Reform 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SUSPENSION OF THE DEBT CEILING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
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(1) AMENDMENTS.—Subchapter I of chapter 31 
of subtitle III of title 31, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(A) in section 3101(b), by inserting ‘‘or 
3101B’’ after ‘‘section 3101A’’; and 
(B) by inserting after section 3101A the 
following: 
‘‘§ 3101B. Suspension of the debt ceiling 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘joint 
resolution’ means only a joint resolution— 
‘‘(1) that is introduced during the period— 
‘‘(A) beginning on the date a certification 
described in subsection (b)(1) is received by 
Congress; and 
‘‘(B) ending on the date that is 45 cal-
endar days after the date described in subpara-
graph (A); 
‘‘(2) which does not have a preamble; 
‘‘(3) the title of which is only as follows: ‘Joint 
resolution relating to the disapproval of the Sec-
retary of the Treasury’s exercise of authority to sus-
pend 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 
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‘‘(4) the matter after the resolving clause of 
which is only as follows: ‘That Congress disapproves 
of the Secretary of the Treasury’s exercise of au-
thority to suspend the debt limit, as exercised pursu-
ant to the certification submitted under section 
3101B(b)(1) of title 31, United States Code, on 
llllll.’ (with the blank containing the date 
of such submission). 
‘‘(b) SUBMISSIONS TO CONGRESS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not earlier than 60 days, 
and not later than 46 days, before last day of a sus-
pension of the limit under section 3101(b) under 
this section, or any other provision of law, if the 
Secretary of the Treasury determines that further 
borrowing will be necessary to meet existing commit-
ments after the end of such suspension, the Sec-
retary of the Treasury shall submit to Congress a 
written certification specifying the end of the period 
during which such limit should be suspended, which 
shall be not later than 2 years after the otherwise 
applicable end of the period of the suspension of the 
limit under section 3101(b). 
‘‘(2) EFFECT
OF
FAILURE
TO
ENACT
DIS-
APPROVAL.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If a joint resolution is 
not enacted with respect to a certification under 
paragraph (1) during the 45-calendar-day pe-
riod beginning on the date on which Congress 
receives the certification, section 3101(b) shall 
not apply for the period— 
‘‘(i) beginning on the date that is 46 
calendar days after the date on which Con-
gress receives the certification; and 
‘‘(ii) ending on the date specified by 
the Secretary of the Treasury in the cer-
tification. 
‘‘(B) SPECIAL RULE RELATING TO OBLIGA-
TIONS ISSUED DURING EXTENSION PERIOD.—If 
a suspension of the limit under section 3101(b) 
takes effect under subparagraph (A) of this 
paragraph, effective on the day after the date 
specified by the Secretary of the Treasury in 
the applicable certification, the limitation in ef-
fect under section 3101(b) shall be increased to 
the extent that— 
‘‘(i) the face amount of obligations 
issued under this chapter and the face 
amount of obligations whose principal and 
interest are guaranteed by the United 
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States Government (except guaranteed ob-
ligations held by the Secretary of the 
Treasury) outstanding on the day after the 
date specified by the Secretary of the 
Treasury in the certification; exceeds 
‘‘(ii) the face amount of such obliga-
tions outstanding on the day after the 
most recent day during which the limit 
under section 3101(b) was not suspended 
under this section, or any other provision 
of law. 
‘‘(C) RESTORING
CONGRESSIONAL
AU-
THORITY OVER THE NATIONAL DEBT.— 
‘‘(i) EXTENSION
LIMITED
TO
NEC-
ESSARY OBLIGATIONS.—An obligation shall 
not be taken into account under subpara-
graph (B)(i) unless the issuance of such 
obligation was necessary to fund a commit-
ment incurred pursuant to law by the Fed-
eral Government that required payment be-
fore the day after the date specified by the 
Secretary of the Treasury in the certifi-
cation. 
‘‘(ii) PROHIBITION ON CREATION OF 
CASH
RESERVE
DURING
EXTENSION
PE-
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RIOD.—The Secretary of the Treasury 
shall not issue obligations during the pe-
riod specified in subparagraph (A) for the 
purpose of increasing the cash balance 
above normal operating balances in antici-
pation of the expiration of such period. 
‘‘(3) 
EFFECT
OF
ENACTMENT
OF
DIS-
APPROVAL.—If a joint resolution is enacted with re-
spect to a certification under paragraph (1) during 
the 45-calendar-day period beginning on the date on 
which Congress receives the certification, the suspen-
sion of the limit under section 3101(b) described in 
such paragraph (1) shall end as otherwise provided 
by law. 
‘‘(c) EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION
IN HOUSE
OF 
REPRESENTATIVES.— 
‘‘(1) REPORTING AND DISCHARGE.—Any com-
mittee of the House of Representatives to which a 
joint resolution is referred shall report it to the 
House of Representatives without amendment not 
later than 5 calendar days after the date of intro-
duction of the joint resolution. If a committee fails 
to report the joint resolution within that period, the 
committee shall be discharged from further consider-
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ation of the joint resolution and the joint resolution 
shall be referred to the appropriate calendar. 
‘‘(2) PROCEEDING TO CONSIDERATION.—After 
each committee authorized to consider a joint resolu-
tion reports it to the House of Representatives or 
has been discharged from its consideration, it shall 
be in order, not later than the sixth day after intro-
duction of the joint resolution, to move to proceed 
to consider the joint resolution in the House of Rep-
resentatives. All points of order against the motion 
are waived. Such a motion shall not be in order after 
the House of Representatives has disposed of a mo-
tion to proceed on a joint resolution addressing a 
particular submission. The previous question shall be 
considered as ordered on the motion to its adoption 
without intervening motion. The motion shall not be 
debatable. A motion to reconsider the vote by which 
the motion is disposed of shall not be in order. 
‘‘(3) 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-
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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. 
‘‘(d) EXPEDITED PROCEDURE IN SENATE.— 
‘‘(1) PLACEMENT ON CALENDAR.—Upon intro-
duction in the Senate, a joint resolution shall be im-
mediately placed on the calendar. 
‘‘(2) 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 
(b)(1) and ending on the date that is 45 cal-
endar days after the date on which the applica-
ble certification described in subsection (b)(1) is 
received by Congress (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 consid-
eration of the joint resolution) are waived. The 
motion to proceed is not debatable. The motion 
is not subject to a motion to postpone. A mo-
tion to reconsider the vote by which the motion 
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is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in 
order. If a motion to proceed to the consider-
ation of the resolution is agreed to, 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. 
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‘‘(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 to the procedure relating to a joint reso-
lution shall be decided without debate. 
‘‘(e) 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 
Senate, the Senate receives the companion measure 
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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 the signa-
ture of the President, 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 
paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b). 
‘‘(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 paragraphs (2) and (3) of 
subsection (b), Congress overrides a veto of a joint 
resolution, the suspension of the limit under section 
3101(b) described in paragraph (1) of such sub-
section shall end as otherwise provided by law. 
‘‘(f) RULES OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND 
SENATE.—Subsections (a), (c), (d), and (e) (except for 
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paragraphs (4)(A) and (5) of such subsection) 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.’’. 
(2) TRANSITIONAL RULE.—If, on the date of 
enactment of this Act, the limit under section 
3101(b) of title 31, United States Code, is not sus-
pended, or the period of the suspension of such sec-
tion ends less than 46 days after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, until the date on which a suspen-
sion of such section next takes effect, subsection (b) 
of section 3101B of title 31, United States Code, 
shall be applied by substituting for paragraph (1) of 
such subsection the following: 
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‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 10 days 
after the date of enactment of this section, if the 
Secretary of the Treasury determines that further 
borrowing will be necessary to meet existing commit-
ments after the date of enactment of this section, 
the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to Con-
gress a written certification specifying the end of the 
period during which the limit under section 3101(b) 
should be suspended, which shall be— 
‘‘(A) not later than 2 years after the other-
wise applicable end of the period of the suspen-
sion of the limit under section 3101(b) in effect 
on the date of enactment of this section; or 
‘‘(B) if the limit under such section is not 
suspended on the date of enactment of this sec-
tion, not later than 2 years after the date of en-
actment of this subsection.’’. 
(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of 
sections for chapter 31 of title 31, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating 
to section 3101A the following: 
‘‘3101B. Suspension of the debt ceiling.’’. 
(b) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON DEBT.—Section 
1105(a)(10) of title 31, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following: ‘‘Such information 
shall include, as a percentage of the gross domestic prod-
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uct of the United States, an estimate of the debt held by 
the public and the debt held by the public net of financial 
assets.’’. 
Æ 
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