I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3708 
To amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 
to provide for an increase in the discretionary spending limit for fiscal 
year 2016, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 8, 2015 
Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself, Mrs. LOWEY, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. YARMUTH, 
Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Ms. MOORE, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, 
Mr. MCDERMOTT, Ms. LEE, Mr. POCAN, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRIS-
HAM of New Mexico, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. 
NORCROSS, and Mr. MOULTON) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently 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 Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Con-
trol Act of 1985 to provide for an increase in the discre-
tionary spending limit for fiscal year 2016, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Prevent a December Government Shutdown Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:30 Oct 14, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3708.IH
H3708
smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Budget Control Act of 2011 set tight 
discretionary spending caps and required additional 
deficit reduction to be accomplished either through 
bipartisan, bicameral negotiations or, as a fallback, 
through sequestration that would further cut discre-
tionary and mandatory spending levels. The threat 
of such draconian and arbitrary cuts was intended 
to encourage lawmakers to negotiate a thoughtfully 
designed substitute package of revenue increases and 
targeted spending cuts. 
(2) The negotiations that followed were unsuc-
cessful and the initial sequester took place in fiscal 
year 2013. 
(3) While the threat of a sequester had not led 
to an agreement, the reality of a sequester did. Law-
makers negotiated a two-year agreement that set 
higher levels of both defense and non-defense discre-
tionary (NDD) spending for fiscal years 2014 and 
2015. 
(4) A similar agreement is necessary now to 
avoid deep budget cuts in the current fiscal year, 
which began on October 1, 2015. 
(5) Senator John McCain and Representative 
Mac Thornberry, the Chairs of the Senate and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:30 Oct 14, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3708.IH
H3708
smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
House Armed Services Committees, have criticized 
the level of defense spending allowed under seques-
tration: ‘‘These cuts are seriously undermining the 
capabilities, readiness, morale and modernization of 
the armed forces. The senior military leaders of the 
Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps have all 
testified to our committees that, with defense spend-
ing at sequestration levels, they cannot execute the 
National Military Strategy.’’. 
(6) The impact of the cuts on NDD spending 
is becoming increasingly clear. NDD United—an al-
liance of more than 2,500 organizations trying to 
protect NDD investments that benefit all Ameri-
cans—made the case that ‘‘these self-imposed cuts 
are dragging down our economic recovery, ham-
pering business growth and development, weakening 
public health preparedness and response, reducing 
resources for our nation’s schools and colleges, com-
promising federal oversight and fraud recovery, hin-
dering scientific discovery, eroding our infrastruc-
ture, and threatening our ability to address emer-
gencies around the world.’’. The impact can also be 
seen in the bills reported by the House Committee 
on Appropriations for fiscal year 2016. Among other 
things, those bills would cut the Department of Edu-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:30 Oct 14, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3708.IH
H3708
smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS