•HCON 96 EH 
SEC. 504. LIMITATION ON LONG-TERM SPENDING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In the House, it shall not be in 
order to consider a bill or joint resolution reported by a 
committee (other than the Committee on Appropriations), 
or an amendment thereto or a conference report thereon, 
if the provisions of such measure have the net effect of 
increasing direct spending in excess of $5,000,000,000 for 
any period described in subsection (b). 
(b) TIME PERIODS.—The applicable periods for pur-
poses of this section are any of the four consecutive ten 
fiscal-year periods beginning with fiscal year 2025. 
SEC. 505. BUDGETARY TREATMENT OF CERTAIN TRANS-
ACTIONS. 
(a) 
IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 
section 
302(a)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, sec-
tion 13301 of the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990, and 
section 4001 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 
of 1989, the report accompanying this concurrent resolu-
tion on the budget or the joint explanatory statement ac-
companying the conference report on any concurrent reso-
lution on the budget shall include in its allocation under 
section 302(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
to the Committee on Appropriations amounts for the dis-
cretionary administrative expenses of the Social Security 
Administration and the United States Postal Service.
•HCON 96 EH 
(b) SPECIAL RULE.—For purposes of applying sec-
tions 302(f) and 311 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, estimates of the level of total new budget authority 
and total outlays provided by a measure shall include any 
off-budget discretionary amounts. 
(c) ADJUSTMENTS.—The chair of the Committee on 
the Budget may adjust the allocations, aggregates, and 
other appropriate levels for legislation reported by the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that re-
forms the Federal retirement system, if such adjustments 
do not cause a net increase in the deficit for fiscal year 
2015 and the period of fiscal years 2015 through 2024. 
SEC. 506. APPLICATION AND EFFECT OF CHANGES IN ALLO-
CATIONS AND AGGREGATES. 
(a) APPLICATION.—Any adjustments of the alloca-
tions, aggregates, and other appropriate levels made pur-
suant to this concurrent resolution shall— 
(1) apply while that measure is under consider-
ation; 
(2) take effect upon the enactment of that 
measure; and 
(3) be published in the Congressional Record as 
soon as practicable. 
(b) EFFECT OF CHANGED ALLOCATIONS AND AG-
GREGATES.—Revised allocations and aggregates resulting
•HCON 96 EH 
from these adjustments shall be considered for the pur-
poses of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 as alloca-
tions and aggregates included in this concurrent resolu-
tion. 
(c) BUDGET COMPLIANCE.—The consideration of any 
bill or joint resolution, or amendment thereto or con-
ference report thereon, for which the chair of the Com-
mittee on the Budget makes adjustments or revisions in 
the allocations, aggregates, and other appropriate levels 
of this concurrent resolution shall not be subject to the 
points of order set forth in clause 10 of rule XXI of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives or section 504. 
SEC. 507. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds the following: 
(1) Costs of Federal housing loans and loan 
guarantees are treated unequally in the budget. The 
Congressional Budget Office uses fair-value account-
ing to measure the costs of Fannie Mae and Freddie 
Mac, but determines the cost of other Federal loan 
and loan-guarantee programs on the basis of the 
Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (‘‘FCRA’’). 
(2) The fair-value accounting method uses dis-
count rates which incorporate the risk inherent to 
the type of liability being estimated in addition to 
Treasury discount rates of the proper maturity
•HCON 96 EH 
length. In contrast, FCRA accounting solely uses the 
discount rates of the Treasury, failing to incorporate 
all of the risks attendant to these credit activities. 
(3) The Congressional Budget Office estimates 
that if fair-value were used to estimate the cost of 
all new credit activity in 2014, the deficit would be 
approximately $50 billion higher than under the cur-
rent methodology. 
(b) FAIR VALUE ESTIMATES.—Upon the request of 
the chair or ranking member of the Committee on the 
Budget, any estimate prepared by the Director of the Con-
gressional Budget Office for a measure under the terms 
of title V of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, ‘‘credit 
reform’’, as a supplement to such estimate shall, to the 
extent practicable, also provide an estimate of the current 
actual or estimated market values representing the ‘‘fair 
value’’ of assets and liabilities affected by such measure. 
(c) FAIR VALUE ESTIMATES FOR HOUSING PRO-
GRAMS.—Whenever the Director of the Congressional 
Budget Office prepares an estimate pursuant to section 
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 of the costs 
which would be incurred in carrying out any bill or joint 
resolution and if the Director determines that such bill 
or joint resolution has a cost related to a housing or resi-
dential mortgage program under the FCRA, then the Di-
•HCON 96 EH 
rector shall also provide an estimate of the current actual 
or estimated market values representing the ‘‘fair value’’ 
of assets and liabilities affected by the provisions of such 
bill or joint resolution that result in such cost. 
(d) ENFORCEMENT.—If the Director of the Congres-
sional Budget Office provides an estimate pursuant to 
subsection (b) or (c), the chair of the Committee on the 
Budget may use such estimate to determine compliance 
with the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and other 
budgetary enforcement controls. 
SEC. 508. TRANSFERS FROM THE GENERAL FUND OF THE 
TREASURY TO THE HIGHWAY TRUST FUND 
THAT INCREASE PUBLIC INDEBTEDNESS. 
For purposes of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Con-
trol Act of 1985, or the rules or orders of the House of 
Representatives, a bill or joint resolution, or an amend-
ment thereto or conference report thereon, that transfers 
funds from the general fund of the Treasury to the High-
way Trust Fund shall be counted as new budget authority 
and outlays equal to the amount of the transfer in the 
fiscal year the transfer occurs.
•HCON 96 EH 
SEC. 509. SEPARATE ALLOCATION FOR OVERSEAS CONTIN-
GENCY OPERATIONS/GLOBAL WAR ON TER-
RORISM. 
(a) ALLOCATION.—In the House, there shall be a sep-
arate allocation to the Committee on Appropriations for 
overseas contingency operations/global war on terrorism. 
For purposes of enforcing such separate allocation under 
section 302(f) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, 
the ‘‘first fiscal year’’ and the ‘‘total of fiscal years’’ shall 
be deemed to refer to fiscal year 2015. Such separate allo-
cation shall be the exclusive allocation for overseas contin-
gency operations/global war on terrorism under section 
302(a) of such Act. Section 302(c) of such Act shall not 
apply to such separate allocation. The Committee on Ap-
propriations may provide suballocations of such separate 
allocation under section 302(b) of such Act. Spending that 
counts toward the allocation established by this section 
shall be designated pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(ii) 
of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 
Act of 1985. 
(b) ADJUSTMENT.—In the House, for purposes of 
subsection (a) for fiscal year 2015, no adjustment shall 
be made under section 314(a) of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974 if any adjustment would be made under sec-
tion 251(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Balanced Budget and Emer-
gency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
•HCON 96 EH 
SEC. 510. EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWERS. 
The House adopts the provisions of this title— 
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 
the House of Representatives and as such they shall 
be considered as part of the rules of the House of 
Representatives, and these rules shall supersede 
other rules only to the extent that they are incon-
sistent with other such rules; and 
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional 
right of the House of Representatives to change 
those rules at any time, in the same manner, and to 
the same extent as in the case of any other rule of 
the House of Representatives. 
TITLE VI—POLICY STATEMENTS 
SEC. 601. POLICY STATEMENT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH AND 
JOB CREATION. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds the following: 
(1) Although the United States economy tech-
nically emerged from recession nearly five years ago, 
the subsequent recovery has felt more like a malaise 
than a rebound. Real gross domestic product (GDP) 
growth over the past four years has averaged just 
over 2 percent, well below the 3 percent trend rate 
of growth in the United States. 
(2) The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) did 
a study in late 2012 examining why the United
•HCON 96 EH 
States economy was growing so slowly after the re-
cession. They found, among other things, that 
United States economic output was growing at less 
than half of the typical rate exhibited during other 
recoveries since World War II. CBO said that about 
two-thirds of this ‘‘growth gap’’ was due to a pro-
nounced sluggishness in the growth of potential 
GDP—particularly in potential employment levels 
(such as people leaving the labor force) and the 
growth in productivity (which is in turn related to 
lower capital investment). 
(3) The prolonged economic sluggishness is par-
ticularly troubling given the amount of fiscal and 
monetary policy actions taken in recent years to 
cushion the depth of the downturn and to spark 
higher rates of growth and employment. In addition 
to the large stimulus package passed in early 2009, 
many other initiatives have been taken to boost 
growth, such as the new homebuyer tax credit and 
the ‘‘cash for clunkers’’ program. These stimulus ef-
forts may have led to various short term ‘‘pops’’ in 
activity but the economy and job market has since 
reverted back to a sub-par trend. 
(4) The unemployment rate has declined in re-
cent years, from a peak of nearly 10 percent in
•HCON 96 EH 
2009-2010 to 6.7 percent in the latest month. How-
ever, a significant chunk of this decline has been due 
to people leaving the labor force (and therefore no 
longer being counted as ‘‘unemployed’’) and not 
from a surge in employment. The slow decline in the 
unemployment rate in recent years has occurred 
alongside a steep decline in the economy’s labor 
force participation rate. The participation rate 
stands at 63.0 percent, close to the lowest level since 
1978. The flipside of this is that over 90 million 
Americans are now ‘‘on the sidelines’’ and not in the 
labor force, representing a 10 million increase since 
early 2009. 
(5) Real median household income declined for 
the fifth consecutive year in 2012 (latest data avail-
able) and, at just over $51,000, is currently at its 
lowest level since 1995. Weak wage and income 
growth as a result of a subpar labor market not only 
means lower tax revenue coming in to the Treasury, 
it also means higher government spending on income 
support programs. 
(6) A stronger economy is vital to lowering def-
icit levels and eventually balancing the budget. Ac-
cording to CBO, if annual real GDP growth is just
•HCON 96 EH 
0.1 percentage point higher over the budget window, 
deficits would be reduced by $311 billion. 
(7) This budget resolution therefore embraces 
pro-growth policies, such as fundamental tax reform, 
that will help foster a stronger economy and more 
job creation. 
(8) Reining in government spending and low-
ering budget deficits has a positive long-term impact 
on the economy and the budget. According to CBO, 
a significant deficit reduction package (i.e. $4 tril-
lion), would boost longer-term economic output by 
1.7 percent. Their analysis concludes that deficit re-
duction creates long-term economic benefits because 
it increases the pool of national savings and boosts 
investment, thereby raising economic growth and job 
creation. 
(9) The greater economic output that stems 
from a large deficit reduction package would have a 
sizeable impact on the Federal budget. For instance, 
higher output would lead to greater revenues 
through the increase in taxable incomes. Lower in-
terest rates, and a reduction in the stock of debt, 
would lead to lower government spending on net in-
terest expenses. According to CBO, this dynamic
•HCON 96 EH 
would reduce unified budget deficits by an amount 
sufficient to produce a surplus in fiscal year 2024. 
(b) POLICY ON ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CRE-
ATION.—It is the policy of this resolution to promote fast-
er economic growth and job creation. By putting the budg-
et on a sustainable path, this resolution ends the debt- 
fueled uncertainty holding back job creators. Reforms to 
the tax code to put American businesses and workers in 
a better position to compete and thrive in the 21st century 
global economy. This resolution targets the regulatory red 
tape and cronyism that stack the deck in favor of special 
interests. All of the reforms in this resolution serve as 
means to the larger end of growing the economy and ex-
panding opportunity for all Americans. 
SEC. 602. POLICY STATEMENT ON TAX REFORM. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds the following: 
(1) A world-class tax system should be simple, 
fair, and promote (rather than impede) economic 
growth. The United States tax code fails on all three 
counts – it is notoriously complex, patently unfair, 
and highly inefficient. The tax code’s complexity dis-
torts decisions to work, save, and invest, which leads 
to slower economic growth, lower wages, and less job 
creation.
•HCON 96 EH 
(2) Over the past decade alone, there have been 
more than 4,400 changes to the tax code, more than 
one per day. Many of the major changes over the 
years have involved carving out special preferences, 
exclusions, or deductions for various activities or 
groups. These loopholes add up to more than $1 tril-
lion per year and make the code unfair, inefficient, 
and highly complex. 
(3) In addition, these tax preferences are dis-
proportionately used by upper-income individuals. 
(4) The large amount of tax preferences that 
pervade the code end up narrowing the tax base. A 
narrow tax base, in turn, requires much higher tax 
rates to raise a given amount of revenue. 
(5) It is estimated that American taxpayers end 
up spending $160 billion and roughly 6 billion hours 
a year complying with the tax code – a waste of time 
and resources that could be used in more productive 
activities. 
(6) Standard economic theory shows that high 
marginal tax rates dampen the incentives to work, 
save, and invest, which reduces economic output and 
job creation. Lower economic output, in turn, mutes 
the intended revenue gain from higher marginal tax 
rates.
•HCON 96 EH 
(7) Roughly half of United States active busi-
ness income and half of private sector employment 
are derived from business entities (such as partner-
ships, S corporations, and sole proprietorships) that 
are taxed on a ‘‘pass-through’’ basis, meaning the 
income flows through to the tax returns of the indi-
vidual owners and is taxed at the individual rate 
structure rather than at the corporate rate. Small 
businesses, in particular, tend to choose this form 
for Federal tax purposes, and the top Federal rate 
on such small business income reaches 44.6 percent. 
For these reasons, sound economic policy requires 
lowering marginal rates on these pass-through enti-
ties. 
(8) The United States corporate income tax 
rate (including Federal, State, and local taxes) sums 
to just over 39 percent, the highest rate in the in-
dustrialized world. Tax rates this high suppress 
wages and discourage investment and job creation, 
distort business activity, and put American busi-
nesses at a competitive disadvantage with foreign 
competitors. 
(9) By deterring potential investment, the 
United States corporate tax restrains economic 
growth and job creation. The United States tax rate
•HCON 96 EH 
differential with other countries also fosters a vari-
ety of complicated multinational corporate behaviors 
intended to avoid the tax, which have the effect of 
moving the tax base offshore, destroying American 
jobs, and decreasing corporate revenue. 
(10) The ‘‘worldwide’’ structure of United 
States international taxation essentially taxes earn-
ings of United States firms twice, putting them at 
a significant competitive disadvantage with competi-
tors with more competitive international tax systems. 
(11) Reforming the United States tax code to 
a more competitive international system would boost 
the competitiveness of United States companies op-
erating abroad and it would also greatly reduce tax 
avoidance. 
(12) The tax code imposes costs on American 
workers through lower wages, on consumers in high-
er prices, and on investors in diminished returns. 
(13) Revenues have averaged about 17.5 per-
cent of the economy throughout modern American 
history. Revenues rise above this level under current 
law to 18.4 percent of the economy by the end of the 
10-year budget window.
•HCON 96 EH 
(14) Attempting to raise revenue through tax 
increases to meet out-of-control spending would 
damage the economy. 
(15) This resolution also rejects the idea of in-
stituting a carbon tax in the United States, which 
some have offered as a ‘‘new’’ source of revenue. 
Such a plan would damage the economy, cost jobs, 
and raise prices on American consumers. 
(16) Closing tax loopholes to fund spending 
does not constitute fundamental tax reform. 
(17) The goal of tax reform should be to curb 
or eliminate loopholes and use those savings to lower 
tax rates across the board—not to fund more waste-
ful Government spending. Tax reform should be rev-
enue-neutral and should not be an excuse to raise 
taxes on the American people. Washington has a 
spending problem, not a revenue problem. 
(b) POLICY ON TAX REFORM.—It is the policy of this 
resolution that Congress should enact legislation that pro-
vides for a comprehensive reform of the United States tax 
code to promote economic growth, create American jobs, 
increase wages, and benefit American consumers, inves-
tors, and workers through revenue-neutral fundamental 
tax reform that—
•HCON 96 EH 
(1) simplifies the tax code to make it fairer to 
American families and businesses and reduces the 
amount of time and resources necessary to comply 
with tax laws; 
(2) substantially lowers tax rates for individ-
uals, with a goal of achieving a top individual rate 
of 25 percent and consolidating the current seven in-
dividual income tax brackets into two brackets with 
a first bracket of 10 percent; 
(3) repeals the Alternative Minimum Tax; 
(4) reduces the corporate tax rate to 25 per-
cent; and 
(5) transitions the tax code to a more competi-
tive system of international taxation. 
SEC. 603. POLICY STATEMENT ON REPLACING THE PRESI-
DENT’S HEALTH CARE LAW. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds the following: 
(1) The President’s health care law has failed 
to reduce health care premiums as promised. Health 
care premiums were supposed to decline by $2,500. 
Instead, according to the 2013 Employer Health 
Benefits Survey, health care premiums have in-
creased by 5 percent for individual plans and 4 per-
cent for family since 2012. Moreover, according to 
a report from the Energy and Commerce Committee,
•HCON 96 EH 
premiums for individual market plans may go up as 
much as 50 percent because of the law. 
(2) The President pledged that Americans 
would be able to keep their health care plan if they 
liked it. But the non-partisan Congressional Budget 
Office now estimates 2 million Americans with em-
ployment-based health coverage will lose those plans. 
(3) Then-Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, 
said that the President’s health care law would cre-
ate 4 million jobs over the life of the law and almost 
400,000 jobs immediately. Instead, the Congres-
sional Budget Office estimates that the law will re-
duce full-time equivalent employment by about 2.0 
million hours in 2017 and 2.5 million hours in 2024, 
‘‘compared with what would have occurred in the ab-
sence of the ACA.’’. 
(4) The implementation of the law has been a 
failure. The main website that Americans were sup-
posed to use in purchasing new coverage was broken 
for over a month. Since the President’s health care 
law was signed into law, the Administration has an-
nounced 23 delays. The President has also failed to 
submit any nominees to sit on the Independent Pay-
ment Advisory Board, a panel of bureaucrats that 
will cut Medicare by an additional $12.1 billion over
•HCON 96 EH 
(4) Instead of instituting one-size-fits-all direc-
tives from Federal bureaucracies such as the Inter-
nal Revenue Service, the Department of Health and 
Human Services, and the Independent Payment Ad-
visory Board, individuals and families should be free 
to secure the health care coverage that best meets 
their needs. 
(5) Instead of allowing fraudulent lawsuits, 
which are driving up health care costs, the medical 
liability system should be reformed while at the same 
time reaffirming that States should be free to imple-
ment the policies that best suit their needs. 
(6) Instead of using Federal taxes, mandates, 
and bureaucracies to address those who have trouble 
securing health care coverage, high risk pools should 
be established. 
(7) Instead of more than doubling spending on 
Medicaid, which is driving up Federal debt and will 
eventually bankrupt State budgets, Medicaid spend-
ing should be brought under control and States 
should be given more flexibility to provide quality, 
affordable care to those who are eligible. 
(8) Instead of driving up health care costs and 
reducing employment, a reformed health care system 
should lower health care costs, which will increase
•HCON 96 EH 
economic growth an employment by lowering health 
care inflation. 
SEC. 604. POLICY STATEMENT ON MEDICARE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds the following: 
(1) More than 50 million Americans depend on 
Medicare for their health security. 
(2) The Medicare Trustees Report has repeat-
edly recommended that Medicare’s long-term finan-
cial challenges be addressed soon. Each year without 
reform, the financial condition of Medicare becomes 
more precarious and the threat to those in or near 
retirement becomes more pronounced. According to 
the Congressional Budget Office— 
(A) the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund 
will be exhausted in 2026 and unable to pay 
scheduled benefits; and 
(B) Medicare spending is growing faster 
than the economy and Medicare outlays are 
currently rising at a rate of 6 percent per year 
over the next ten years, and according to the 
Congressional Budget Office’s 2013 Long-Term 
Budget Outlook, spending on Medicare is pro-
jected to reach 5 percent of gross domestic 
product (GDP) by 2040 and 9.4 percent of 
GDP by 2088.
•HCON 96 EH 
(3) The President’s health care law created a 
new Federal agency called the Independent Payment 
Advisory Board (IPAB) empowered with unilateral 
authority to cut Medicare spending. As a result of 
that law— 
(A) IPAB will be tasked with keeping the 
Medicare per capita growth below a Medicare 
per capita target growth rate. Prior to 2018, 
the target growth rate is based on the five-year 
average of overall inflation and medical infla-
tion. Beginning in 2018, the target growth rate 
will be the five-year average increase in the 
nominal GDP plus one percentage point, which 
the President has twice proposed to reduce to 
GDP plus one-half percentage point; 
(B) the fifteen unelected, unaccountable 
bureaucrats of IPAB will make decisions that 
will reduce seniors access to care; 
(C) the nonpartisan Office of the Medicare 
Chief Actuary estimates that the provider cuts 
already contained in the Affordable Care Act 
will force 15 percent of hospitals, skilled nurs-
ing facilities, and home health agencies to be-
come unprofitable in 2019; and
•HCON 96 EH 
(D) additional cuts from the IPAB board 
will force even more health care providers to 
close their doors, and the Board should be re-
pealed. 
(4) Failing to address this problem will leave 
millions of American seniors without adequate health 
security and younger generations burdened with 
enormous debt to pay for spending levels that cannot 
be sustained. 
(b) POLICY ON MEDICARE REFORM.—It is the policy 
of this resolution to protect those in or near retirement 
from any disruptions to their Medicare benefits and offer 
future beneficiaries the same health care options available 
to Members of Congress. 
(c) ASSUMPTIONS.—This resolution assumes reform 
of the Medicare program such that: 
(1) Current Medicare benefits are preserved for 
those in or near retirement. 
(2) For future generations, when they reach eli-
gibility, Medicare is reformed to provide a premium 
support payment and a selection of guaranteed 
health coverage options from which recipients can 
choose a plan that best suits their needs. 
(3) Medicare will maintain traditional fee-for- 
service as an option.
•HCON 96 EH 
(4) Medicare will provide additional assistance 
for lower-income beneficiaries and those with greater 
health risks. 
(5) Medicare spending is put on a sustainable 
path and the Medicare program becomes solvent 
over the long-term. 
SEC. 605. POLICY STATEMENT ON SOCIAL SECURITY. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds the following: 
(1) More than 55 million retirees, individuals 
with disabilities, and survivors depend on Social Se-
curity. Since enactment, Social Security has served 
as a vital leg on the ‘‘three-legged stool’’ of retire-
ment security, which includes employer provided 
pensions as well as personal savings. 
(2) The Social Security Trustees Report has re-
peatedly recommended that Social Security’s long- 
term financial challenges be addressed soon. Each 
year without reform, the financial condition of Social 
Security becomes more precarious and the threat to 
seniors and those receiving Social Security disability 
benefits becomes more pronounced: 
(A) In 2016, the Disability Insurance 
Trust Fund will be exhausted and program rev-
enues will be unable to pay scheduled benefits.
•HCON 96 EH 
(B) In 2033, the combined Old-Age and 
Survivors and Disability Trust Funds will be 
exhausted, and program revenues will be unable 
to pay scheduled benefits. 
(C) With the exhaustion of the Trust 
Funds in 2033, benefits will be cut nearly 25 
percent across the board, devastating those cur-
rently in or near retirement and those who rely 
on Social Security the most. 
(3) The recession and continued low economic 
growth have exacerbated the looming fiscal crisis 
facing Social Security. The most recent CBO projec-
tions find that Social Security will run cash deficits 
of $1.7 trillion over the next 10 years. 
(4) Lower-income Americans rely on Social Se-
curity for a larger proportion of their retirement in-
come. Therefore, reforms should take into consider-
ation the need to protect lower-income Americans’ 
retirement security. 
(5) The Disability Insurance program provides 
an essential income safety net for those with disabil-
ities and their families. According to the Congres-
sional Budget Office (CBO), between 1970 and 
2012, the number of people receiving disability bene-
fits (both disabled workers and their dependent fam-
•HCON 96 EH 
ily members) has increased by over 300 percent 
from 2.7 million to over 10.9 million. This increase 
is not due strictly to population growth or decreases 
in health. David Autor and Mark Duggan have 
found that the increase in individuals on disability 
does not reflect a decrease in self-reported health. 
CBO attributes program growth to changes in demo-
graphics, changes in the composition of the labor 
force and compensation, as well as Federal policies. 
(6) If this program is not reformed, families 
who rely on the lifeline that disability benefits pro-
vide will face benefit cuts of up to 25 percent in 
2016, devastating individuals who need assistance 
the most. 
(7) In the past, Social Security has been re-
formed on a bipartisan basis, most notably by the 
‘‘Greenspan Commission’’ which helped to address 
Social Security shortfalls for over a generation. 
(8) Americans deserve action by the President, 
the House, and the Senate to preserve and strength-
en Social Security. It is critical that bipartisan ac-
tion be taken to address the looming insolvency of 
Social Security. In this spirit, this resolution creates 
a bipartisan opportunity to find solutions by requir-
•HCON 96 EH 
submit implementing legislation to both Houses of 
Congress including his recommendations necessary 
to achieve a positive 75-year actuarial balance and 
a positive annual balance in the 75th year. The Ma-
jority Leader of the Senate and the Majority Leader 
of the House shall introduce the President’s legisla-
tion upon receipt. 
(3) Within 60 days of the President submitting 
legislation, the committees of jurisdiction to which 
the legislation has been referred shall report the bill 
which shall be considered by the full House or Sen-
ate under expedited procedures. 
(4) Legislation submitted by the President 
shall— 
(A) protect those in or near retirement; 
(B) preserve the safety net for those who 
count on Social Security the most, including 
those with disabilities and survivors; 
(C) improve fairness for participants; 
(D) reduce the burden on, and provide cer-
tainty for, future generations; and 
(E) secure the future of the Disability In-
surance program while addressing the needs of 
those with disabilities today and improving the 
determination process.
•HCON 96 EH 
(c) POLICY ON DISABILITY INSURANCE.—It is the 
policy of this resolution that Congress and the President 
should enact legislation on a bipartisan basis to reform 
the Disability Insurance program prior to its insolvency 
in 2016 and should not raid the Social Security retirement 
system without reforms to the Disability Insurance sys-
tem. 
SEC. 606. POLICY STATEMENT ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND 
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY. 
(a) FINDINGS ON HIGHER EDUCATION.—The House 
finds the following: 
(1) A well-educated workforce is critical to eco-
nomic, job, and wage growth. 
(2) 19.5 million students are enrolled in Amer-
ican colleges and universities. 
(3) Over the last decade, tuition and fees have 
been growing at an unsustainable rate. Between the 
2002-2003 Academic Year and the 2012-2013 Aca-
demic Year— 
(A) published tuition and fees for in-State 
students at public four-year colleges and univer-
sities increased at an average rate of 5.2 per-
cent per year beyond the rate of general infla-
tion;
•HCON 96 EH 
(B) published tuition and fees for in-State 
students at public two-year colleges and univer-
sities increased at an average rate of 3.9 per-
cent per year beyond the rate of general infla-
tion; and 
(C) published tuition and fees for in-State 
students at private four-year colleges and uni-
versities increased at an average rate of 2.4 
percent per year beyond the rate of general in-
flation. 
(4) Over that same period, Federal financial aid 
has increased 105 percent. 
(5) This spending has failed to make college 
more affordable. 
(6) In his 2012 State of the Union Address, 
President Obama noted that, ‘‘We can’t just keep 
subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of 
money.’’. 
(7) American students are chasing ever-increas-
ing tuition with ever-increasing debt. According to 
the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, student 
debt more than quadrupled between 2003 and 2013, 
and now stands at nearly $1.1 trillion. Student debt 
now has the second largest balance after mortgage 
debt.
•HCON 96 EH 
(8) Students are carrying large debt loads and 
too many fail to complete college or end up default-
ing on these loans due to their debt burden and a 
weak economy and job market. 
(9) Based on estimates from the Congressional 
Budget Office, the Pell Grant Program will face a 
fiscal shortfall beginning in fiscal year 2016 and 
continuing in each subsequent year in the current 
budget window. 
(10) Failing to address these problems will 
jeopardize access and affordability to higher edu-
cation for America’s young people. 
(b) POLICY
ON
HIGHER
EDUCATION
AFFORD-
ABILITY.—It is the policy of this resolution to address the 
root drivers of tuition inflation, by— 
(1) targeting Federal financial aid to those 
most in need; 
(2) streamlining programs that provide aid to 
make them more effective; 
(3) maintaining the maximum Pell grant award 
level at $5,730 in each year of the budget window; 
and 
(4) removing regulatory barriers in higher edu-
cation that act to restrict flexibility and innovative 
teaching, particularly as it relates to non-traditional
•HCON 96 EH 
models such as online coursework and competency- 
based learning. 
(c) FINDINGS ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.—The 
House finds the following: 
(1) Over ten million Americans are currently 
unemployed. 
(2) Despite billions of dollars in spending, those 
looking for work are stymied by a broken workforce 
development system that fails to connect workers 
with assistance and employers with trained per-
sonnel. 
(4) According to a 2011 Government Account-
ability Office (GAO) report, in fiscal year 2009, the 
Federal Government spent $18 billion across 9 agen-
cies to administer 47 Federal job training programs, 
almost all of which overlapped with another program 
in terms of offered services and targeted population. 
(5) Since the release of that GAO report, the 
Education and Workforce Committee, which has 
done extensive work in this area, has identified more 
than 50 programs. 
(3) Without changes, this flawed system will 
continue to fail those looking for work or to improve 
their skills, and jeopardize economic growth.
•HCON 96 EH 
(d) POLICY ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.—It is 
the policy of this resolution to address the failings in the 
current workforce development system, by— 
(1) streamlining and consolidating Federal job 
training programs as advanced by the House-passed 
Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong 
Skills Act (SKILLS Act); and 
(2) empowering states with the flexibility to tai-
lor funding and programs to the specific needs of 
their workforce, including the development of career 
scholarships. 
SEC. 607. POLICY STATEMENT ON DEFICIT REDUCTION 
THROUGH THE CANCELLATION OF UNOBLI-
GATED BALANCES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The House finds the following: 
(1) According to the most recent estimate from 
the Office of Management and Budget, Federal 
agencies were expected to hold $739 billion in unob-
ligated balances at the close of fiscal year 2014. 
(2) These funds represent direct and discre-
tionary spending made available by Congress that 
remains available for expenditure beyond the fiscal 
year for which they are provided. 
(3) In some cases, agencies are granted funding 
and it remains available for obligation indefinitely.