Make Rules Matter Act
Bill: S.2469 | Sponsor: Sen. Braun, Mike (R-IN)
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance

Summary:
Make Rules Matter Act
This bill modifies the requirements for raising and waiving several budget points of order that apply to legislation in the Senate. Among other modifications, the bill requires an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Senate to waive certain budget points of order. (Under current law, most budget points of order may be waived by a vote of three-fifths of the Senate.)

Establishing appropriate thresholds for certain budget points of order 
                 in the Senate, 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 ``Make Rules Matter Act''.

SEC. 2. THRESHOLDS FOR BUDGET POINTS OF ORDER.

    (a) Threshold for Point of Order Against Emergency Designations.--
            (1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``emergency 
        designation point of order'' means a point of order raised 
        under--
                    (A) section 314(e) of the Congressional Budget Act 
                of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 645(e));
                    (B) section 4(g)(3) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go 
                Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)(3)); or
                    (C) section 4112(e) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th 
                Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for 
                fiscal year 2018.
            (2) Waiver.--In the Senate, an emergency designation point 
        of order may be waived or suspended only by the affirmative 
        vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn.
            (3) Appeal.--In the Senate, an affirmative vote of two-
        thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required 
        to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on an emergency 
        designation point of order.
    (b) Threshold for Large Budget Impact for Certain Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 Points of Order.--
            (1) In general.--A point of order described in paragraph 
        (3) may be waived or suspended in the Senate only by an 
        affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and 
        sworn.
            (2) Appeal.--In the Senate, an affirmative vote of two-
        thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required 
        to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a point of 
        order described in paragraph (3).
            (3) Description of large budget impact.--A point of order 
        described in this paragraph is a point of order under section 
        302(f)(2) or 311(a)(2)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 
        1974 (2 U.S.C. 633(f)(2), 642(a)(2)(A)) against legislation 
        that would, within the time periods applicable to the point of 
        order, as determined by the Chairman of the Committee on the 
        Budget of the Senate, cause budget authority or outlays to 
        exceed the applicable allocation, suballocation, level, or 
        aggregate by more than $5,000,000,000.
    (c) De Minimis Budget Impact.--For a violation for which the 
absolute value of the violation is not more than $500,000, a point of 
order shall not lie--
            (1) under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control 
        Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 621 et seq.) (except for a point of order 
        under section 302 or 311 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 633, 642)); or
            (2) under any concurrent resolution on the budget.
    (d) Threshold for Increasing Short-Term Deficits.--
            (1) Reduction in net increase in the deficit.--In the 
        Senate, section 404(a) of S. Con. Res. 13 (111th Congress), the 
        concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2010, shall 
        be applied by substituting ``$1,000,000,000'' for 
        ``$10,000,000,000''.
            (2) Waiver and appeal for large budget impact in the 
        senate.--
                    (A) Waiver.--In the Senate, section 404(a) of S. 
                Con. Res. 13 (111th Congress), the concurrent 
                resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2010, may be 
                waived or suspended by the affirmative vote of two-
                thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, if the 
                net increase in the deficit in any fiscal year exceeds 
                $10,000,000,000.
                    (B) Appeal.--In the Senate, an affirmative vote of 
                two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, shall 
                be required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the 
                Chair on a point of order raised under section 404(a) 
                of S. Con. Res. 13 (111th Congress), the concurrent 
                resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2010, if the 
                net increase in the deficit in any fiscal year exceeds 
                $10,000,000,000.
    (e) Threshold for Increasing Long-Term Deficits.--
            (1) Reduction in net increase in the deficit.--In the 
        Senate, subsections (a) and (b)(1) of section 3101 of S. Con. 
        Res. 11 (114th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the 
        budget for fiscal year 2016, shall each be applied by 
        substituting ``$1,000,000,000'' for ``$5,000,000,000''.
            (2) Waiver and appeal for large budget impact in the 
        senate.--
                    (A) Waiver.--In the Senate, section 3101(b)(1) of 
                S. Con. Res. 11 (114th Congress), the concurrent 
                resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2016, may be 
                waived or suspended by the affirmative vote of two-
                thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, if the 
                net increase in on-budget deficits in any 10-fiscal-
                year period exceeds $10,000,000,000.
                    (B) Appeal.--In the Senate, an affirmative vote of 
                two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, shall 
                be required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the 
                Chair on a point of order raised under section 
                3101(b)(1) of S. Con. Res. 11 (114th Congress), the 
                concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 
                2016, if the net increase in on-budget deficits in any 
                10-fiscal-year period exceeds $10,000,000,000.
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