I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6724 
To amend chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, to provide procedures 
for congressional disapproval of the issuance of additional debt. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 15, 2022 
Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. YARMUTH) in-
troduced 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 consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To amend chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, to 
provide procedures for congressional disapproval of the 
issuance of additional debt. 
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’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROCEDURES FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL 
OF ISSUANCE OF ADDITIONAL DEBT. 
Section 3101 of title 31, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 3101. Public debt limit 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF JOINT RESOLUTION.—In this 
section, the term ‘joint resolution’ means a joint resolu-
tion— 
‘‘(1) that is introduced during the period— 
‘‘(A) beginning on the date on which a cer-
tification under subsection (b)(1) is received; 
and 
‘‘(B) ending on the date that is 3 calendar 
days after the date described in subparagraph 
(A) (or, if a House was not in session, the next 
calendar day on which that House is in ses-
sion); 
‘‘(2) which does not have a preamble; 
‘‘(3) the title of which is only as follows: ‘Joint 
resolution relating to the disapproval of the Presi-
dent’s exercise of authority to issue additional debt, 
as submitted under section 3101 of title 31, United 
States Code, on llllll’ (with the blank 
space being filled in with the date on which the ap-
plicable certification under subsection (b)(1) was re-
ceived); and 
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‘‘(4) the matter after the resolving clause of 
which is only as follows: ‘That Congress disapproves 
of the President’s exercise of the authority to issue 
additional debt, as exercised pursuant to the certifi-
cation under section 3101(b) of title 31, United 
States Code.’. 
‘‘(b) CERTIFICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The President shall submit 
to Congress a written certification whenever the 
President determines that the debt is within 
$100,000,000,000 of a $1,000,000,000,000 incre-
ment and that further borrowing is required to meet 
existing commitments. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORITY TO ISSUE DEBT AFTER CER-
TIFICATION.—Subject to the requirements of this 
section, the United States may issue additional debt 
as necessary to meet existing commitments on and 
after the date on which the President submits a 
written certification to Congress under paragraph 
(1). 
‘‘(3) RESOLUTION OF DISAPPROVAL.—Congress 
may consider a joint resolution relating to each cer-
tification submitted by the President under para-
graph (1). 
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‘‘(c) ENACTMENT
OF
JOINT
RESOLUTION.—The 
United States may not issue additional debt if, not later 
than 50 calendar days after the date on which Congress 
receives a certification submitted under subsection (b)(1) 
(regardless of whether Congress is in session), there is en-
acted into law a joint resolution disapproving the Presi-
dent’s exercise of authority to issue additional debt. 
‘‘(d) EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION IN THE HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES.— 
‘‘(1) RECONVENING.—Upon receipt of a certifi-
cation submitted under subsection (b)(1), the Speak-
er, if the House of Representatives would otherwise 
be adjourned, shall notify the Members of the House 
of Representatives that, pursuant to this section, the 
House of Representatives shall convene not later 
than the second calendar day after receipt of such 
certification. 
‘‘(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 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. 
‘‘(3) 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 with 
respect to a joint resolution relating to a certifi-
cation after the House of Representatives has dis-
posed of a motion to proceed that joint resolution. 
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 dis-
posed of shall not be in order. 
‘‘(4) CONSIDERATION.—A joint resolution shall 
be considered as read. All points of order against a 
joint resolution and against its consideration are 
waived. An amendment to a joint resolution is not 
in order. The previous question shall be considered 
as ordered on a joint resolution to its passage with-
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out intervening motion except 2 hours of debate 
equally divided and controlled by the proponent and 
an opponent. A motion to reconsider the vote on 
passage of a joint resolution shall not be in order. 
‘‘(e) EXPEDITED PROCEDURE IN THE SENATE.— 
‘‘(1) RECONVENING.—Upon receipt of a certifi-
cation under subsection (b)(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 
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 
(b)(1) and ending on the 6th day after the date 
on which Congress receives the certification 
(even though a previous motion to the same ef-
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fect has been disagreed to) to move to proceed 
to the consideration of a joint resolution relat-
ing to the certification, 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 
is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in 
order. If a motion to proceed to the consider-
ation of a joint resolution is agreed to, the joint 
resolution shall remain the unfinished business 
until disposed of. 
‘‘(B) CONSIDERATION.—Consideration of a 
joint resolution, and on all debatable motions 
and appeals in connection therewith, shall be 
limited to not more than 10 hours, which shall 
be divided equally between the majority and mi-
nority leaders or their designees. A motion fur-
ther to limit debate is in order and not debat-
able. An amendment to a joint resolution, a mo-
tion to postpone, or a motion to proceed to the 
consideration of other business, or a motion to 
recommit a joint resolution is not in order. 
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‘‘(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-
lating to a joint resolution shall be decided 
without debate. 
‘‘(f) COORDINATION
WITH
ACTION
BY
OTHER 
HOUSE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If, before passing a joint 
resolution relating to a certification under subsection 
(b)(1), one House receives from the other a joint 
resolution relating to the same certification— 
‘‘(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 until the 
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