Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2560
Sponsor: Rep. Chaffetz, Jason [R-UT-3]
Introduced: 2011-07-15 in the House
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Appropriations
Budget deficits and national debt
Budget process
Constitution and constitutional amendments
Legislative rules and procedure
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2011-07-15
text: 
Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to make it out of order in both chambers to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, or conference report that would cause the discretionary spending limits established in this Act to be exceeded.
 
Establishes the discretionary spending limits for FY2012 as $1,019,402,000,000 in new budget authority and $1,224,568,000,000 in outlays. 
 
Authorizes the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Budget to adjust such limits, budgetary aggregates in the most recently adopted concurrent budget resolution, and CBA committee allocations if a bill or joint resolution is reported making appropriations for FY2012 that provides funding for the global war on terrorism.
 
Makes it out of order in both chambers to consider any legislation that includes any provision that would cause total direct spending to exceed the spending limit specified in this Act. Exempts from such spending limits: (1) Social Security, function 650; (2) Medicare, function 570; (3) Veterans Benefits and Services, function 700; and (4) Net Interest, function 900.
 
Makes $680.73 billion the limit on total combined outlays for all non-exempt direct spending for FY2012.
 
Amends the CBA to prescribe requirements for implementing sequestration orders under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to enforce the discretionary and direct spending caps in this Act.
 
Exempts from any sequestration orders: (1) payments for military personnel accounts (within subfunctional category 051), (2) TRICARE for Life, (3) Medicare (functional category 570), (4) military retirement, (5) Social Security (functional category 650), (6) veterans (functional category 700), (7) net interest (functional category 900), and (8) discretionary appropriations.
 
Makes it out of order in both chambers to consider legislation which waives, modifies, or in any way alters a sequestration order unless the chair of the House or Senate Committee on the Budget certifies that the measure achieves the same levels of reductions in new budget authority and outlays for the applicable year in such order.
 
Amends the CBA to prescribe requirements for enforcing GDP outlay limits.
 
Requires: (1) the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish in the President's budget the GDP outlay limit for the budget year, and (2) total federal outlays to include all on-budget and off-budget outlays.
 
Amends the CBA to make it out of order in both chambers to consider any legislation that would cause the most recently reported current GDP outlay limits set forth in this Act to be exceeded.
 
Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from exercising additional borrowing authority until the date that the Archivist of the United States transmits to the states for their ratification H.J. Res. 1 (as reported on June 23, 2011), S.J. Res. 10 (as introduced on March 31, 2011), or H.J. Res. 56 (as introduced on April 7, 2011), a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, or a similar amendment if it requires that total outlays not exceed total receipts, contains a spending limitation as a percentage of GDP, and requires that tax increases be approved by a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
 
Increases the public debt from $14.294 trillion to $16.7 trillion on the date such legislation is transmitted to the states.

action_date: 2011-07-19
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

 
Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011 - 
Title I: Cut
 - (Sec. 101) Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to make it out of order in both chambers to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, or conference report that would cause the discretionary spending limits established in this Act to be exceeded.
 
Establishes the discretionary spending limits for FY2012 as $1,019,402,000,000 in new budget authority and $1,224,568,000,000 in outlays. 
 
Authorizes the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Budget to adjust such limits, budgetary aggregates in the most recently adopted concurrent budget resolution, and CBA committee allocations if a bill or joint resolution is reported making appropriations for FY2012 that provides funding for the global war on terrorism.
 
Makes it out of order in both chambers to consider any legislation that includes any provision that would cause total direct spending to exceed the spending limit specified in this Act. Exempts from such spending limits: (1) Social Security, function 650; (2) Medicare, function 570; (3) Veterans Benefits and Services, function 700; and (4) Net Interest, function 900.
 
Makes $680.73 billion the limit on total combined outlays for all non-exempt direct spending for FY2012.
 
(Sec. 102) Amends the CBA to prescribe requirements for implementing sequestration orders under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to enforce the discretionary and direct spending caps in this Act.
 
Exempts from any sequestration orders: (1) payments for military personnel accounts (within subfunctional category 051), (2) TRICARE for Life, (3) Medicare (functional category 570), (4) military retirement, (5) Social Security (functional category 650), (6) veterans (functional category 700), (7) net interest (functional category 900), and (8) discretionary appropriations.
 
Makes it out of order in both chambers to consider legislation which waives, modifies, or in any way alters a sequestration order unless the chair of the House or Senate Committee on the Budget certifies that the measure achieves the same levels of reductions in new budget authority and outlays for the applicable year in such order.
 

Title II: Cap
 - (Sec. 201) Amends the CBA to prescribe requirements for enforcing GDP outlay limits.
 
Requires: (1) the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish in the President's budget the GDP outlay limit for the budget year, and (2) total federal outlays to include all on-budget and off-budget outlays.
 
(Sec. 202) Amends the CBA to make it out of order in both chambers to consider any legislation that would cause the most recently reported current GDP outlay limits set forth in this Act to be exceeded.
 

Title III: Balance
 - (Sec. 301) Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from exercising additional borrowing authority until the date that the Archivist of the United States transmits to the states for their ratification H.J. Res. 1 (as reported on June 23, 2011), S.J. Res. 10 (as introduced on March 31, 2011), or H.J. Res. 56 (as introduced on April 7, 2011), a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, or a similar amendment if it requires that total outlays not exceed total receipts, contains a spending limitation as a percentage of GDP, and requires that tax increases be approved by a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
 
Increases the public debt from $14.294 trillion to $16.7 trillion on the date such legislation is transmitted to the states.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-07-22
text: Motion to table the motion to proceed to the bill agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 46. Record Vote Number: 116. (consideration: CR S4825-4826)
action_date: 2011-07-22
text: Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S4813-4826)
action_date: 2011-07-21
text: Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4743-4751, S4751-4779, S4781-4795)
action_date: 2011-07-20
text: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Ordered Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 106.
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 234 - 190 (Roll no. 606). (text: CR H5184-5185)
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 234 - 190 (Roll no. 606).(text: CR H5184-5185)
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 188 - 236 (Roll no. 605).
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H5226)
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Bishop (NY) motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment that states it shall not be in order in the House of Representatives or the Senate to consider any balanced budget amendment to the Constitution that could result in a reduction in veterans benefits.
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: Mr. Bishop (NY) moved to recommit with instructions to Rules. (consideration: CR H5226-5227; text: CR H5226)
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H5226)
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with four hours of debate on H.R. 2560.
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2560 with 4 hours of general debate. Motion to recommit allowed. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments. The resolution waives all points of order against consideration of the bill.
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 355. (consideration: CR H5184-5228)
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: Rule H. Res. 355 passed House.
action_date: 2011-07-18
text: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 355 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2560 with 4 hours of general debate. Motion to recommit allowed. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments. The resolution waives all points of order against consideration of the bill.
action_date: 2011-07-15
text: Referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, and Ways and Means, 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 concerned.
action_date: 2011-07-15
text: Referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, and Ways and Means, 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 concerned.
action_date: 2011-07-15
text: Referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, and Ways and Means, 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 concerned.
action_date: 2011-07-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-07-15
text: Introduced in House