Fight Inflation Through Balanced Budgets Act
Bill: S.4020 | Sponsor: Sen. Braun, Mike (R-IN)
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance

Summary:
Fight Inflation Through Balanced Budgets Act
This bill establishes points of order that may be raised in the Senate against (1) budget resolutions that do not include a balanced budget; and (2) provisions that would cause the total amount of appropriations for a program, project, or activity to exceed the authorized amount.
The bill also limits waivers of budget points of order in the Senate, including by prohibiting (1) waiving multiple points of order against a measure using a single motion, and (2) waiving a point of order that has not been specifically raised by a Senator.

To require balanced budgets in concurrent resolutions on the budget, to 
   establish limits on the waiver of budget points of order, and to 
    prevent appropriations in excess of the amount authorized to be 
                             appropriated.

    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 ``Fight Inflation Through Balanced 
Budgets Act''.

SEC. 2. POINT OF ORDER AGAINST BUDGET RESOLUTIONS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE A 
              BALANCED BUDGET.

    (a) Point of Order.--It shall not be in order in the Senate to 
consider a concurrent resolution on the budget that does not reduce the 
deficit to zero on or before the end of the 9th fiscal year after the 
budget year.
    (b) Waiver and Appeal.--Subsection (a) may be waived or suspended 
in the Senate only by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members, 
duly chosen and sworn. An affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members 
of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an 
appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under 
subsection (a).

SEC. 3. LIMITS ON WAIVER OF BUDGET POINTS OF ORDER.

    (a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``budget point of 
order'' means a point of order under the Congressional Budget and 
Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 621 et seq.), the Balanced 
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et 
seq.), the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 931 et seq.), 
a concurrent resolution on the budget, or this Act.
    (b) Prohibition on Waiving Multiple Points of Order.--In the 
Senate, it shall not be in order to move to waive more than 1 budget 
point of order with respect to a bill, joint resolution, motion, 
amendment, amendment between the Houses, or conference report as part 
of a single motion, including a motion to waive all applicable budget 
points of order.
    (c) Prohibition on Preemptive Waivers.--In the Senate, it shall not 
be in order to move to waive or suspend a budget point of order with 
respect to a bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment, amendment 
between the Houses, or conference report unless the budget point of 
order has been specifically raised by a Senator.
    (d) No Waiver.--It shall not be in order to move to waive or 
suspend this section.

SEC. 4. POINT OF ORDER AGAINST APPROPRIATIONS IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT 
              AUTHORIZED TO BE APPROPRIATED.

    (a) Point of Order.--
            (1) In general.--In the Senate, it shall not be in order to 
        consider a provision in a bill, joint resolution, motion, 
        amendment, amendment between the Houses, or conference report 
        that would cause the total amount of funds appropriated for a 
        program, project, or activity to exceed the amount authorized 
        to be appropriated in statute for the program, project, or 
        activity for the fiscal year. For purposes of this paragraph, 
        if there is not an authorization of appropriations in statute 
        for a program, project, or activity for a fiscal year, the 
        amount authorized to be appropriated shall be $0.
            (2) Point of order sustained.--If a point of order is made 
        by a Senator against a provision described in paragraph (1), 
        and the point of order is sustained by the Chair, that 
        provision shall be stricken from the measure and may not be 
        offered as an amendment from the floor.
    (b) Form of the Point of Order.--A point of order under subsection 
(a)(1) may be raised by a Senator as provided in section 313(e) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 644(e)).
    (c) Conference Reports.--When the Senate is considering a 
conference report on, or an amendment between the Houses in relation 
to, a bill or joint resolution, upon a point of order being made by any 
Senator pursuant to subsection (a)(1), and such point of order being 
sustained, such material contained in such conference report or House 
amendment shall be stricken, and the Senate shall proceed to consider 
the question of whether the Senate shall recede from its amendment and 
concur with a further amendment, or concur in the House amendment with 
a further amendment, as the case may be, which further amendment shall 
consist of only that portion of the conference report or House 
amendment, as the case may be, not so stricken. Any such motion in the 
Senate shall be debatable. In any case in which such point of order is 
sustained against a conference report (or Senate amendment derived from 
such conference report by operation of this subsection), no further 
amendment shall be in order.
    (d) Supermajority Waiver and Appeal.--In the Senate, this section 
may be waived or suspended only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths 
of the Members, duly chose and sworn. An affirmative vote of three-
fifths of Members of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn shall be 
required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a point of 
order raised under this section.
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