I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 222 
To establish a national commission on fiscal responsibility and reform, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 7, 2025 
Mr. CASE (for himself, Mr. WOMACK, Mr. PETERS, and Mr. NUNN of Iowa) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Budget, and in addition to the Committee 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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To establish a national commission on fiscal responsibility 
and reform, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sustainable Budget 
Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, there shall be estab-
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lished within the legislative branch a commission to be 
known as the National Commission on Fiscal Responsi-
bility and Reform (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Commis-
sion’’). 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) COMPOSITION OF COMMISSION.—A Commis-
sion shall be composed of 18 members of whom— 
(A) six members shall be appointed by the 
President, of whom not more than 4 shall be 
from the same political party; 
(B) three members shall be appointed by 
the majority leader of the Senate, from among 
current Members of the Senate; 
(C) three members shall be appointed by 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
from among current Members of the House of 
Representatives; 
(D) three members shall be appointed by 
the minority leader of the Senate, from among 
current Members of the Senate; and 
(E) three members shall be appointed by 
the minority leader of the House of Representa-
tives, from among current Members of the 
House of Representatives. 
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(2) INITIAL
APPOINTMENTS.—Initial appoint-
ments to the Commission shall be made not later 
than 60 days after the establishment of the Commis-
sion. 
(3) VACANCY.—A vacancy on the Commission 
shall be filled in the same manner as the initial ap-
pointment. 
(c) CO-CHAIRPERSONS.—From among the members 
appointed under paragraph (1), the President shall des-
ignate 2 members, who shall not be of the same political 
party, to serve as Co-Chairpersons of the Commission. 
(d) QUALIFICATIONS.—Members appointed to the 
Commission shall have significant depth of experience and 
responsibilities in matters relating to government service, 
fiscal policy, economics, Federal agency management or 
private sector management, public administration, and 
law. 
(e) DUTIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall iden-
tify policies to improve the fiscal situation in the me-
dium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over 
the long term. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out para-
graph (1), the Commission shall— 
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(A) propose recommendations designed to 
balance the budget, excluding interest payments 
on the debt, by the end of the 10-year period 
beginning on the date on which the Commission 
is established, in order to stabilize the debt-to- 
GDP ratio at an acceptable level; and 
(B) propose recommendations that mean-
ingfully improve the long-term fiscal outlook, 
including changes to address the growth of enti-
tlement spending and the gap between the pro-
jected revenues and expenditures of the Federal 
Government. 
(f) REPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.— 
(A) FINAL
REPORT.—Not later than 1 
year after the date on which members are ap-
pointed to the Commission under subsection 
(b), the Commission shall vote on the approval 
of a final report containing the recommenda-
tions required under subsection (e). 
(B) INTERIM REPORTS.—At any time after 
the date on which members are appointed and 
prior to voting on the approval of a final report 
under subparagraph (A), the Commission may 
vote on the approval of an interim report con-
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taining such recommendations described in sub-
section (e) as the Commission may provide. 
(2) APPROVAL OF REPORT.—The Commission 
may only issue a report under this subsection if— 
(A) the report is approved by not less than 
12 members of the Commission; and 
(B) of the members approving the report, 
at least 4 are members of the same political 
party to which the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives belongs and at least 4 are 
members of the same political party to which 
the minority leader of the House of Representa-
tives belongs. 
(3) SUBMISSION OF REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
Each report approved under this subsection shall be 
submitted to Congress and made available to the 
public. 
(g) POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.— 
(1) HEARINGS.—The Commission may hold 
such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, 
take such testimony, and receive such evidence as 
the Commission considers advisable to carry out the 
duties of the Commission described in subsection (e). 
(2) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 
The Commission may secure directly from any Fed-
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eral agency such information as the Commission 
considers necessary to carry out the duties of the 
Commission described in subsection (e). Upon re-
quest from the Co-Chairpersons of the Commission, 
the head of the Federal agency shall provide the in-
formation requested to the Commission. 
(3) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may 
use the United States mail in the same manner and 
under the same conditions as other departments and 
agencies of the Federal Government. 
(4) WEBSITE.— 
(A) CONTENTS.—The Commission shall es-
tablish a website that shall contain— 
(i) 
the 
recommendations 
required 
under subsection (e); and 
(ii) the records of attendance of the 
members of the Commission for each meet-
ing of the Commission. 
(B) DATE
OF
PUBLICATION.—The Com-
mission shall publish a recommendation or 
record of attendance described under subpara-
graph (A) on the website established under 
such subparagraph not later than 72 hours 
after the conclusion of the meeting at which 
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such recommendation is made or at which such 
record of attendance is taken. 
(h) ASSISTANCE OF OTHER LEGISLATIVE BRANCH 
ENTITIES.— 
(1) GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE.— 
The Comptroller General shall provide technical as-
sistance to the Commission, as the Commission con-
ducts the work of the Commission, on the findings 
and recommendations of the Government Account-
ability Office. 
(2) CONGRESSIONAL
BUDGET
OFFICE.—The 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office shall 
provide technical assistance to the Commission, as 
the Commission conducts the work of the Commis-
sion, on the findings and recommendations of the 
Congressional Budget Office. 
(3) JOINT
COMMITTEE
ON
TAXATION.—The 
chair of the Joint Committee on Taxation shall pro-
vide technical assistance to the Commission, as the 
Commission conducts the work of the Commission, 
on the findings and recommendations of the Joint 
Committee on Taxation. 
(i) PERSONNEL MATTERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Members of the Commission 
shall serve without any additional compensation. 
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(2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Members of the Com-
mission shall be allowed travel expenses, including 
per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized 
for employees of agencies under subchapter I of 
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while 
away from their homes or regular places of business 
in the performance of services for the Commission. 
(3) STAFF.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Co-Chairpersons of 
the Commission, may without regard to the civil 
service laws and regulations, appoint and termi-
nate an executive director and such other addi-
tional personnel as may be necessary to enable 
the Commission to perform its duties. The em-
ployment of an executive director shall be sub-
ject to confirmation by the Commission. 
(B) COMPENSATION.—The Co-Chairper-
sons of the Commission may fix the compensa-
tion of the executive director and other per-
sonnel without regard to the provisions of chap-
ter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 
5, United States Code, relating to the classifica-
tion of positions and General Schedule pay 
rates, except that the rate of pay for the execu-
tive director and other personnel may not ex-
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ceed the rate payable for level V of the Execu-
tive Schedule under section 5613 of such title. 
(4) DETAIL
OF
GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES.— 
Any Federal Government employee may be detailed 
to the Commission without reimbursement, and such 
detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil 
service status or privilege. 
(5) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTER-
MITTENT SERVICES.—The Co-Chairpersons of each 
Commission may procure temporary and intermit-
tent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 
States Code, at rates for individuals which do not 
exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of 
basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5316 of such title. 
(j) TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION.—The Com-
mission established shall terminate 30 days after the date 
on which the Commission submits the final report of the 
Commission under subsection (f). 
(k) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 
shall be construed to— 
(1) impair or otherwise affect— 
(A) authority granted by law to an execu-
tive department, agency, or the head thereof; or 
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(B) functions of the Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget relating to budg-
etary, administrative, or legislative proposals; or 
(2) create any right or benefit, substantive or 
procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any 
party against the United States, its departments, 
agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or 
agents, or any other person. 
(l) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Commission such sums as may 
be necessary to carry out this Act. 
(2) AVAILABILITY.—Any sums appropriated 
under paragraph (1) shall remain available, without 
fiscal year limitation, until expended. 
(m) FEDERAL AGENCY DEFINED.—The term ‘‘Fed-
eral agency’’ means an establishment in the executive, leg-
islative, or judicial branch of the Federal Government. 
SEC. 3. CONSIDERATION OF COMMISSION RECOMMENDA-
TIONS. 
(a) SUBMISSION
OF PROPOSED JOINT RESOLU-
TION.—Not later than 60 days after the date on which 
the Commission submits a report to Congress under sec-
tion 2(f)(3), the President shall transmit to Congress a 
special message on the report, accompanied by a proposed 
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joint resolution consisting of legislative language to imple-
ment the recommendations contained in such report. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS
FOR PREPARATION
OF PRO-
POSED JOINT RESOLUTION.— 
(1) CONSULTATION WITH CONGRESS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The President may not 
transmit a proposed joint resolution under sub-
section (a) until after the President completes 
consultation with Congress in accordance with 
this paragraph. 
(B) CONSULTATION WITH COMMITTEES.— 
The President shall consult with the chairman 
and ranking minority member of each relevant 
committee of the Senate or of the House of 
Representatives regarding the contents of a 
proposed joint resolution. 
(C) 
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
CONSULTA-
TION.—The consultation required under sub-
paragraph (B) shall provide the opportunity for 
the chairman and ranking member of each rel-
evant committee of the Senate or of the House 
of Representatives to provide— 
(i) recommendations for alternative 
means of addressing the recommendations 
contained in the Commission report; and 
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(ii) recommendations regarding which 
recommendations contained in the Com-
mission report should not be addressed in 
the proposed joint resolution. 
(D) RELEVANT
COMMITTEES.—The rel-
evant committees of the Senate and the House 
of Representatives for purposes of this para-
graph shall be— 
(i) determined by the President; and 
(ii) based on the content of the pro-
posed joint resolution. 
(2) CONSULTATION WITH GAO AND CBO.—The 
President shall prepare a proposed joint resolution 
transmitted under subsection (a) in consultation 
with the Comptroller General of the United States 
and the Director of the Congressional Budget Office. 
(c) CONTENTS
OF SPECIAL MESSAGE.—A special 
message transmitted under subsection (a) shall— 
(1) specify recommendations outlined in the 
Commission report that are excluded from the pro-
posed joint resolution; 
(2) detail why the recommendations described 
in paragraph (1) were excluded from the proposed 
joint resolution; 
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(3) specify recommendations outlined in the 
Commission report that are included in the proposed 
joint resolution; and 
(4) identify programs included in the Commis-
sion report that should be eliminated or consoli-
dated. 
(d) TRANSMITTAL.—The President shall submit the 
special message to the Secretary of the Senate if the Sen-
ate is not in session and to the Clerk of the House of 
Representatives if the House is not in session. 
(e) PUBLIC
AVAILABILITY.—The President shall 
make a copy of the special message and the proposed joint 
resolution publicly available, including publicly available 
on a website of the President, and shall publish in the 
Federal Register a notice of the message and information 
on how it can be obtained. 
SEC. 4. EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED JOINT 
RESOLUTION. 
(a) QUALIFYING LEGISLATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Only a Commission joint 
resolution shall be entitled to expedited consideration 
under this section. 
(2) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term 
‘‘Commission joint resolution’’ means a joint resolu-
tion which consists solely of the text of the proposed 
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joint resolution submitted by the President under 
section 3(a). 
(b) CONSIDERATION IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENT-
ATIVES.— 
(1) INTRODUCTION.—A Commission joint reso-
lution may be introduced in the House of Represent-
atives (by request)— 
(A) by the majority leader of the House of 
Representatives, or by a Member of the House 
of Representatives designated by the majority 
leader of the House of Representatives, on the 
next legislative day after the date on which the 
President submits the proposed joint resolution 
under section 3(a); or 
(B) if the Commission joint resolution is 
not introduced under subparagraph (A), by any 
Member of the House of Representatives on any 
legislative day beginning on the legislative day 
after the legislative day described in subpara-
graph (A). 
(2) REFERRAL
AND
REPORTING.—Any com-
mittee of the House of Representatives to which a 
Commission joint resolution is referred shall report 
the Commission joint resolution to the House of 
Representatives without amendment not later than 
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later than 3 legislative days after the date on which 
the last committee authorized to consider the Com-
mission joint resolution reports it to the House of 
Representatives or is discharged. 
(c) EXPEDITED PROCEDURE IN THE SENATE.— 
(1) INTRODUCTION IN THE SENATE.—A Com-
mission joint resolution may be introduced in the 
Senate (by request)— 
(A) by the majority leader of the Senate, 
or by a Member of the Senate designated by the 
majority leader of the Senate, on the next legis-
lative day after the date on which the President 
submits the proposed joint resolution under sec-
tion 3(a); or 
(B) if the Commission joint resolution is 
not introduced under subparagraph (A), by any 
Member of the Senate on any day on which the 
Senate is in session beginning on the day after 
the day described in subparagraph (A). 
(2) COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION.—A Commis-
sion joint resolution introduced in the Senate under 
paragraph (1) shall be jointly referred to the com-
mittee or committees of jurisdiction, which commit-
tees shall report the Commission joint resolution 
without any revision and with a favorable rec-
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ommendation, an unfavorable recommendation, or 
without recommendation, not later than 10 session 
days after the date on which the Commission joint 
resolution was so referred. If any committee to 
which a Commission joint resolution is referred fails 
to report the Commission joint resolution within that 
period, that committee shall be automatically dis-
charged from consideration of the Commission joint 
resolution, and the Commission joint resolution shall 
be placed on the appropriate calendar. 
(3) PROCEEDING.—Notwithstanding rule XXII 
of the Standing Rules of the Senate, it is in order, 
not later than 2 days of session after the date on 
which a Commission joint resolution is reported or 
discharged from all committees to which the Com-
mission joint resolution was referred, for the major-
ity leader of the Senate or the designee of the major-
ity leader to move to proceed to the consideration of 
the Commission joint resolution. It shall also be in 
order for any Member of the Senate to move to pro-
ceed to the consideration of the Commission joint 
resolution at any time after the conclusion of such 
2-day period. A motion to proceed is in order even 
though a previous motion to the same effect has 
been disagreed to. All points of order against the 
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motion to proceed to the Commission joint resolution 
are waived. The motion to proceed is not debatable. 
The motion is not subject to a motion to postpone. 
A motion 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 consideration of the Com-
mission joint resolution is agreed to, the Commission 
joint resolution shall remain the unfinished business 
until disposed of. All points of order against a Com-
mission joint resolution and against consideration of 
the Commission joint resolution are waived. 
(4) NO
AMENDMENTS.—An amendment to a 
Commission joint resolution, or a motion to post-
pone, or a motion to proceed to the consideration of 
other business, or a motion to recommit the Com-
mission joint resolution, is not in order. 
(5) RULINGS OF THE CHAIR ON PROCEDURE.— 
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 relating to a Commis-
sion joint resolution shall be decided without debate. 
(d) AMENDMENT.—A Commission joint resolution 
shall not be subject to amendment in either the Senate 
or the House of Representatives. 
(e) CONSIDERATION BY THE OTHER HOUSE.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—If, before passing a Commis-
sion joint resolution, a House receives from the 
other House a Commission joint resolution of the 
other House— 
(A) the Commission joint resolution of the 
other House shall not be referred to a com-
mittee; and 
(B) the procedure in the receiving House 
shall be the same as if no Commission joint res-
olution had been received from the other House 
until the vote on passage, when the Commission 
joint resolution received from the other House 
shall supplant the Commission joint resolution 
of the receiving House. 
(2) REVENUE
MEASURES.—This subsection 
shall not apply to the House of Representatives if a 
Commission joint resolution received from the Sen-
ate is a revenue measure. 
(f) RULES TO COORDINATE ACTION WITH OTHER 
HOUSE.— 
(1) TREATMENT OF COMMISSION JOINT RESO-
LUTION OF OTHER HOUSE.—If a Commission joint 
resolution is not introduced in the Senate or the 
Senate fails to consider a Commission joint resolu-
tion under this section, the Commission joint resolu-
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tion of the House of Representatives shall be entitled 
to expedited floor procedures under this section. 
(2) TREATMENT OF COMPANION MEASURES IN 
THE SENATE.—If, following passage of a Commis-
sion joint resolution in the Senate, the Senate then 
receives from the House of Representatives a Com-
mission joint resolution, the House-passed Commis-
sion joint resolution shall not be debatable. The vote 
on passage of the Commission joint resolution in the 
Senate shall be considered to be the vote on passage 
of the Commission joint resolution received from the 
House of Representatives. 
(3) VETOES.—If the President vetoes a Com-
mission joint resolution, consideration of a veto mes-
sage in the Senate under this paragraph shall be 10 
hours equally divided between the majority and mi-
nority leaders of the Senate or the designees of the 
majority and minority leaders of the Senate. 
(g) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWER.—This sec-
tion is enacted by Congress— 
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 
the Senate and House of Representatives, respec-
tively, and as such it is deemed a part of the rules 
of each House, respectively, but applicable only with 
respect to the procedure to be followed in that 
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House in the case of a Commission joint resolution, 
and it supersedes other rules only to the extent that 
it is inconsistent with such rules; and 
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional 
right of either House to change the rules (so far as 
relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 
in the same manner, and to the same extent as in 
the case of any other rule of that House. 
Æ 
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