I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 182 
To ensure the payment of interest and principal of the debt of the United 
States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2025 
Mr. MCCLINTOCK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To ensure the payment of interest and principal of the debt 
of the United States. 
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 ‘‘Default Prevention 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PAYMENT OF OBLIGATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—At any time that the debt of the 
United States Government subject to limitation under sec-
tion 3101 of title 31, United States Code, has reached the 
limitation imposed under such section, the Secretary of 
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(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section— 
(1) TIER I OBLIGATIONS.—The term ‘‘Tier I 
obligations’’ means payments necessary to provide 
any of the following: 
(A) Payment with legal tender pursuant to 
the authority provided under section 3123 of 
title 31, United States Code, of principal and 
interest on debt held by— 
(i) the public, 
(ii) the Federal Old-Age and Sur-
vivors Insurance Trust Fund or the Fed-
eral Disability Insurance Trust Fund, or 
(iii) the Federal Hospital Insurance 
Trust Fund or the Federal Supplementary 
Medical Insurance Trust Fund. 
(B) Payments under the Medicare program 
under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395 et seq.). 
(2) TIER II OBLIGATIONS.—The term ‘‘Tier II 
obligations’’ means payments necessary to provide 
any of the following: 
(A) Any obligation of the Department of 
Defense. 
(B) Benefits under laws administered by 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
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(3) TIER III OBLIGATIONS.—The term ‘‘Tier III 
obligations’’ means any obligation of the United 
States which is not a Tier I, Tier II, Tier IV, or 
Tier V obligation. 
(4) TIER IV OBLIGATIONS.—The term ‘‘Tier IV 
obligations’’ means any payment which constitutes 
any of the following: 
(A) Compensation for any Federal em-
ployee for official time under section 7131 of 
such title 5, United States Code. 
(B) Any payment for travel expenses for 
any officer or employee of the Executive branch 
of Government, including the President and 
Vice President, unless such payment is a Tier 
I or Tier II obligation. 
(C) Compensation of any officer or em-
ployee of the Executive branch of Government 
(other than an individual in the competitive 
service, as defined in section 2102 of title 5, 
United States Code), including the President 
and Vice President, unless such compensation is 
a Tier I or Tier II obligation. 
(5) TIER V OBLIGATIONS.—The term ‘‘Tier V 
obligations’’ means compensation of any Member of 
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Congress (as that term is defined in section 2106 of 
title 5, United States Code). 
(c) COORDINATION WITH PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT.—Ob-
ligations issued under subsection (a)(2) shall not be taken 
into account as subject to the limitation imposed under 
section 3101(b) of title 31, United States Code. The pre-
ceding sentence shall not apply with respect to any obliga-
tion after the first date (after the issuance of such obliga-
tion) on which any modification or suspension of such lim-
itation takes effect. 
(d) WEEKLY REPORTS.—The written report referred 
to in subsection (a)(6) shall include, with respect to the 
period covered by such report— 
(1) the amount of Tier I obligations paid under 
subsection (a)(1) during such period, 
(2) the amount of obligations issued under sub-
section (a)(2) during such period, and 
(3) the amount of Tier II obligations, Tier III 
obligations, Tier IV obligations, and Tier V obliga-
tions which were paid during such period (stated 
separately for each tier) and the aggregate amount 
of such obligations which were due and unpaid as of 
the close of such period (stated separately for each 
tier). 
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(e) NO INFERENCE WITH RESPECT TO EXISTING 
AUTHORITY TO PRIORITIZE PAYMENTS.—During any pe-
riod with respect to which this section does not apply, 
nothing in this section shall be interpreted to restrict the 
authority of the Secretary to prioritize the payment of cer-
tain obligations over other obligations. 
Æ 
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