Sustainable Budget Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.974 | Sponsor: Rep. Case, Ed (D-HI)
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance

Summary:
Sustainable Budget Act of 2021
This bill establishes the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform within the legislative branch to identify policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and achieve fiscal sustainability over the long term.
The commission must propose recommendations that (1) are designed to balance the budget, excluding interest payments on the debt, within 10 years; and (2) meaningfully improve the long-term fiscal outlook, including changes to address the growth of entitlement spending and the gap between projected federal revenues and expenditures.
Congress must consider the commission's recommendations using specified expedited legislative procedures.

To establish a national commission on fiscal responsibility and reform, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sustainable Budget Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, there shall be established within the 
legislative branch a commission to be known as the National Commission 
on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (referred to in this Act as the 
``Commission'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Composition of commission.--A Commission 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 Representatives, from 
                among current Members of the House of Representatives.
            (2) Initial appointments.--Initial appointments to the 
        Commission shall be made not later than 60 days after the 
        establishment of the Commission.
            (3) Vacancy.--A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled 
        in the same manner as the initial appointment.
    (c) Co-Chairpersons.--From among the members appointed under 
paragraph (1), the President shall designate 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 identify policies to 
        improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve 
        fiscal sustainability over the long term.
            (2) Requirements.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
        Commission shall--
                    (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 meaningfully 
                improve the long-term fiscal outlook, including changes 
                to address the growth of entitlement spending and the 
                gap between the projected 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 appointed to the Commission 
                under subsection (b), the Commission shall vote on the 
                approval of a final report containing the 
                recommendations 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 containing such recommendations described in 
                subsection (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 
                Representatives 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 Federal agency such information as the 
        Commission considers necessary to carry out the duties of the 
        Commission described in subsection (e). Upon request from the 
        Co-Chairpersons of the Commission, the head of the Federal 
        agency shall provide the information 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 establish 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 meeting of 
                        the Commission.
                    (B) Date of publication.--The Commission shall 
                publish a recommendation or record of attendance 
                described under subparagraph (A) on the website 
                established under such subparagraph not later than 72 
                hours after the conclusion of the meeting at which 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 assistance to the Commission, 
        as the Commission conducts the work of the Commission, on the 
        findings and recommendations of the Government Accountability 
        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 
        Commission, on the findings and recommendations of the 
        Congressional Budget Office.
            (3) Joint committee on taxation.--The chair of the Joint 
        Committee on Taxation shall provide 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.
            (2) Travel expenses.--Members of the Commission shall be 
        allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, as 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 terminate an 
                executive director and such other additional personnel 
                as may be necessary to enable the Commission to perform 
                its duties. The employment of an executive director 
                shall be subject to confirmation by the Commission.
                    (B) Compensation.--The Co-Chairpersons of the 
                Commission may fix the compensation of the executive 
                director and other personnel without regard to the 
                provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 
                53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to the 
                classification of positions and General Schedule pay 
                rates, except that the rate of pay for the executive 
                director and other personnel may not exceed the rate 
                payable for level V of the Executive 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 intermittent services.--
        The Co-Chairpersons of each Commission may procure temporary 
        and intermittent 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 Commission 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 executive 
                department, agency, or the head thereof; or
                    (B) functions of the Director of the Office of 
                Management and Budget relating to budgetary, 
                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 ``Federal agency'' means an 
establishment in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the 
Federal Government.

SEC. 3. CONSIDERATION OF COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS.

    (a) Submission of Proposed Joint Resolution.--Not later than 60 
days after the date on which the Commission submits a report to 
Congress under section 2(f)(3), the President shall transmit to 
Congress a special message on the report, accompanied by a proposed 
joint resolution consisting of legislative language to implement the 
recommendations contained in such report.
    (b) Requirements for Preparation of Proposed Joint Resolution.--
            (1) Consultation with congress.--
                    (A) In general.--The President may not transmit a 
                proposed joint resolution under subsection (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 consultation.--The 
                consultation required under subparagraph (B) shall 
                provide the opportunity for the chairman and ranking 
                member of each relevant 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
                            (ii) recommendations regarding which 
                        recommendations contained in the Commission 
                        report should not be addressed in the proposed 
                        joint resolution.
                    (D) Relevant committees.--The relevant committees 
                of the Senate and the House of Representatives for 
                purposes of this paragraph shall be--
                            (i) determined by the President; and
                            (ii) based on the content of the proposed 
                        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 proposed joint resolution;
            (2) detail why the recommendations described in paragraph 
        (1) were excluded from the proposed joint resolution;
            (3) specify recommendations outlined in the Commission 
        report that are included in the proposed joint resolution; and
            (4) identify programs included in the Commission report 
        that should be eliminated or consolidated.
    (d) Transmittal.--The President shall submit the special message to 
the Secretary of the Senate if the Senate 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 resolution which consists 
        solely of the text of the proposed joint resolution submitted 
        by the President under section 3(a).
    (b) Consideration in the House of Representatives.--
            (1) Introduction.--A Commission joint resolution may be 
        introduced in the House of Representatives (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 subparagraph (A).
            (2) Referral and reporting.--Any committee 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 10 
        legislative days after the date on which the Commission joint 
        resolution was so referred. If a committee of the House of 
        Representatives fails to report a Commission joint resolution 
        within that period, it shall be in order to move that the House 
        of Representatives discharge the committee from further 
        consideration of the Commission joint resolution. Such a motion 
        shall not be in order after the last committee authorized to 
        consider the Commission joint resolution reports it to the 
        House of Representatives or after the House of Representatives 
        has disposed of a motion to discharge the Commission joint 
        resolution. The previous question shall be considered as 
        ordered on the motion to its adoption without intervening 
        motion except 20 minutes of debate equally divided and 
        controlled by the proponent and an opponent. If such a motion 
        is adopted, the House of Representatives shall proceed 
        immediately to consider the Commission joint resolution in 
        accordance with paragraphs (3) and (4). A motion to reconsider 
        the vote by which the motion is disposed of shall not be in 
        order.
            (3) Proceeding to consideration.--After the last committee 
        authorized to consider a Commission joint resolution reports it 
        to the House of Representatives or has been discharged (other 
        than by motion) from its consideration, it shall be in order to 
        move to proceed to consider the Commission joint resolution in 
        the House of Representatives. Such a motion shall not be in 
        order after the House of Representatives has disposed of a 
        motion to proceed with respect to the Commission joint 
        resolution. The previous question shall be considered as 
        ordered on the motion to its adoption without intervening 
        motion. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is 
        disposed of shall not be in order.
            (4) Consideration.--The Commission joint resolution shall 
        be considered as read. All points of order against the 
        Commission joint resolution and against its consideration are 
        waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on 
        the Commission joint resolution to its passage without 
        intervening motion except 2 hours of debate equally divided and 
        controlled by the proponent and an opponent and 1 motion to 
        limit debate on the Commission joint resolution. A motion to 
        reconsider the vote on passage of the Commission joint 
        resolution shall not be in order.
            (5) Vote on passage.--The vote on passage of the Commission 
        joint resolution shall occur not later than 3 legislative days 
        after the date on which the last committee authorized to 
        consider the Commission joint resolution reports it to the 
        House of Representatives or is discharged.
    (c) Expedited Procedure in the Senate.--
            (1) Introduction in the senate.--A Commission 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 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 
                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 Commission joint resolution 
        introduced in the Senate under paragraph (1) shall be jointly 
        referred to the committee or committees of jurisdiction, which 
        committees shall report the Commission joint resolution without 
        any revision and with a favorable recommendation, 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 discharged 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 
        Commission joint resolution was referred, for the majority 
        leader of the Senate or the designee of the majority 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 proceed 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 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 Commission joint resolution is 
        agreed to, the Commission joint resolution shall remain the 
        unfinished business until disposed of. All points of order 
        against a Commission 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 postpone, or a motion to proceed to 
        the consideration of other business, or a motion to recommit 
        the Commission 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 Commission 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.--
            (1) In general.--If, before passing a Commission 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 committee; and
                    (B) the procedure in the receiving House shall be 
                the same as if no Commission joint resolution 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 Senate is a revenue measure.
    (f) Rules To Coordinate Action With Other House.--
            (1) Treatment of commission joint resolution of other 
        house.--If a Commission joint resolution is not introduced in 
        the Senate or the Senate fails to consider a Commission joint 
        resolution under this section, the Commission joint resolution 
        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 Commission joint resolution in the 
        Senate, the Senate then receives from the House of 
        Representatives a Commission joint resolution, the House-passed 
        Commission 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 Commission joint 
        resolution, consideration of a veto message in the Senate under 
        this paragraph shall be 10 hours equally divided between the 
        majority and minority leaders of the Senate or the designees of 
        the majority and minority leaders of the Senate.
    (g) Exercise of Rulemaking Power.--This section is enacted by 
Congress--
            (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate 
        and House of Representatives, respectively, 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 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.
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