IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 24 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal Gov-
ernment should not bail out State and local government employee pension 
plans or other plans that provide post-employment benefits to State 
and local government retirees. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 5, 2017 
Mr. CHAFFETZ submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the Federal Government should not bail out State and 
local government employee pension plans or other plans 
that provide post-employment benefits to State and local 
government retirees. 
Whereas the Federal Government is operating at an annual 
deficit and is increasing its outstanding debt every year; 
Whereas the Federal Government, as of December 29, 2016, 
is carrying more than $19.879 trillion in debt, of which 
$14.408 trillion is owed to the public and $5.472 trillion 
is owed to Social Security and other trust funds; 
Whereas the Federal Government borrowed 15 cents for 
every dollar it spent in 2016; 
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•HRES 24 IH 
Whereas foreign governments, individuals, and corporations 
as of October 2016 own 43.1 percent of Federal debt 
held by the public; 
Whereas Social Security’s unfunded liabilities will be $11.4 
trillion by 2090 and $32.1 trillion over the infinite hori-
zon; 
Whereas the Federal debt held by the public is expected to 
increase by more than $9 trillion from fiscal year 2016 
to fiscal year 2026 according to the Congressional Budg-
et Office; 
Whereas State and local governments are heavily dependent 
on Federal revenues; 
Whereas nearly 17 percent of the entire Federal budget goes 
directly to States and local governments; 
Whereas 17 percent of total State and local government gen-
eral revenue comes from the Federal Government accord-
ing to Census Bureau’s latest Annual Survey of State 
and Local Government Finance; 
Whereas numerous State and local government employee pen-
sion plans have offered overly generous retirement bene-
fits to its employees and are in dire financial situations 
with combined unfunded liabilities of nearly $4 trillion; 
Whereas many State and local government pension plans 
have understated liabilities and overstated asset growth 
rates and have employed methodologies that private sec-
tor plans are prohibited from using by Federal law; and 
Whereas several State and local pension plans are expected 
to fully exhaust their funds within ten years: Now, there-
fore, be it 
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•HRES 24 IH 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) the Federal Government should not bail out 
State and local government employee pension plans 
and other post-employment benefit plans; and 
(2) State and local governments should imme-
diately institute reforms to their employee pension 
plans, including replacing defined benefit plans with 
defined contribution plans. 
Æ 
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