[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 489 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 489
To establish a commission to develop legislation designed to reform
entitlement benefit programs and ensure a sound fiscal future for the
United States, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 16, 2007
Mr. McHenry 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 concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a commission to develop legislation designed to reform
entitlement benefit programs and ensure a sound fiscal future for the
United States, 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 ``Commission On Reforming Entitlement
Spending Act'' or the ``CORE Spending Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established a commission to be known as the ``Commission
On Reforming Entitlement Spending'' (hereinafter in this Act referred
to as the ``Commission'').
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.
(a) Mandatory Legislation Development.--
(1) Issues to address.--The Commission shall examine the
long-term fiscal challenges facing the United States and
develop legislation designed to address the following issues:
(A) The unsustainable imbalance between long-term
Federal spending commitments and projected revenues.
(B) Increasing net national savings to provide for
domestic investment and economic growth.
(C) The implications of foreign ownership of debt
instruments issued by the United States Government.
(D) Improving the budget process to place greater
emphasis on long-term fiscal issues.
(2) Policy solutions.--Legislation developed to address the
issues described in paragraph (1) may include the following:
(A) Reforms that limit the growth of entitlement
spending to ensure that the programs are fiscally
sustainable.
(B) Reforms that strengthen the safety net
functions of entitlement programs to provide assistance
to the neediest people.
(C) Incentives to increase private savings.
(D) Automatic stabilizers or triggers to enforce
spending and revenue targets.
(E) Any other reforms designed to address the
issues described in paragraph (1).
(3) Limitation.--The legislation developed under this
subsection may not include any new, or any increase in an
existing, Federal tax.
(b) Optional Development of Cost Estimate Alternatives.--The
Commission shall by an affirmative vote of 5 members develop not more
than 2 methods for estimating the cost of legislation as an alternative
to the method currently used by the Congressional Budget Office. Any
such alternative method must be designed to address any flaws in the
method currently used with regard to estimating the positive economic
effects of legislation.
SEC. 4. INITIAL TOWN HALL STYLE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
(a) In General.--The Commission shall hold at least 1 town hall
style public hearing within each Federal reserve district, and shall,
to the extent feasible, ensure that there is broad public participation
in the hearings.
(b) Hearing Format.--During each hearing, the Commission shall
present to the public, and generate comments and suggestions regarding,
the issues described in section 3, policies designed to address the
issues, and tradeoffs between the policies.
SEC. 5. REPORT.
The Commission shall, not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, submit a report to Congress and the President
containing the following:
(1) A detailed description of the activities of the
Commission.
(2) A summary of comments and suggestions generated from
the town hall style public hearings.
(3) A detailed statement of any findings of the Commission
as to public preferences regarding the issues, policies, and
tradeoffs presented in the town hall style public hearings.
(4) A detailed description of the long-term fiscal problems
faced by the United States.
(5) A list of policy options for addressing those problems.
(6) Criteria for the legislative proposal to be developed
by the Commission.
SEC. 6. LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL.
(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date the report
is submitted under section 5 and by a vote of two-thirds of the
members, the Commission shall submit a legislative proposal to Congress
and the President designed to address the issues described section 3.
(b) Proposal Requirements.--The proposal must, to the extent
feasible, be designed--
(1) to achieve generational equity and long-term economic
stability;
(2) to address the comments and suggestions of the public;
and
(3) to meet the criteria set forth in the Commission
report.
(c) Inclusion of Cost Estimate.--The Commission shall submit with
the proposal--
(1) a long-term CBO cost estimate prepared under section 14
for the proposal; and
(2) if an alternative cost estimate method is developed by
the Commission, a 50-year cost estimate using such method.
SEC. 7. MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS.
(a) In General.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 voting
members appointed pursuant to paragraph (1) and 2 nonvoting members
described in paragraph (2).
(1) Voting members.--(A) The President shall appoint 3
members, one of which the President shall appoint as
chairperson of the Commission.
(B) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
appoint 3 members.
(C) The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives
shall appoint 3 members.
(D) The Majority Leader of the Senate shall appoint 3
members.
(E) The Minority Leader of the Senate shall appoint 3
members.
(2) Nonvoting members.--The Comptroller General of the
United States and the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office shall each be nonvoting members of the Commission and
shall advise and assist at the request of the Commission.
(b) Limitation as to Members of Congress.--Each appointing
authority described in subsection (a)(1) who is a Member of Congress
may only appoint 1 Member of Congress to the Commission.
(c) Date for Original Appointment.--The appointing authorities
described in subsection (a)(1) shall appoint the initial members of the
Commission not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this
Act.
(d) Terms.--
(1) In general.--The term of each member is for the life of
the Commission.
(2) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled
not later than 30 days after such vacancy occurs and in the
manner in which the original appointment was made.
(e) Pay and Reimbursement.--
(1) No compensation for members of commission.--Except as
provided in paragraph (2), a member of the Commission may not
receive pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service
on the Commission.
(2) Travel expenses.--Each member shall receive travel
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence under
subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
(f) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet upon the call of the
chairperson or a majority of its voting members.
(g) Quorum.--Six voting members of the Commission shall constitute
a quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
SEC. 8. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION.
(a) Director.--
(1) In general.--Subject to subsection (c) and to the
extent provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the
Commission shall appoint and fix the pay of a director.
(2) Duties.--The director of the Commission shall be
responsible for the administration and coordination of the
duties of the Commission and shall perform other such duties as
the Commission may direct.
(b) Staff.--In accordance with rules agreed upon by the Commission,
subject to subsection (c), and to the extent provided in advance in
appropriation Acts, the director may appoint and fix the pay of
additional personnel.
(c) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--The director and
staff of the Commission may be appointed without regard to the
provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in
the competitive service, and may be paid without regard to the
provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title
relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that
pay fixed under subsection (a) may not exceed $150,000 per year and pay
fixed under subsection (b) may not exceed a rate equal to the daily
equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay for level V of the Executive
Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.
(d) Detailees.--Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to
the Commission without reimbursement from the Commission, and such
detailee shall retain the rights, status, and privileges of their
regular employment without interruption.
(e) Experts and Consultants.--In accordance with rules agreed upon
by the Commission and to the extent provided in advance in
appropriation Acts, the director may procure the services of experts
and consultants under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code,
but at rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of
basic pay for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of
title 5, United States Code.
SEC. 9. POWERS OF COMMISSION.
(a) Hearings and Evidence.--The Commission may, for the purpose of
carrying out this Act, hold such hearings in addition to the town hall
style public hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such
testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission considers
appropriate. The Commission may administer oaths or affirmations to
witnesses appearing before it.
(b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the
Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action which
the Commission is authorized to take under this section.
(c) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and
agencies of the United States.
(d) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities
under this Act.
(e) Contract Authority.--To the extent provided in advance in
appropriation Acts, the Commission may enter into contracts to enable
the Commission to discharge its duties under this Act.
(f) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or
donations of services or property.
SEC. 10. TERMINATION.
The Commission shall terminate 60 days after submitting its
legislative proposal.
SEC. 11. ALTERNATIVE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL OF PRESIDENT.
The President may, not later than 60 days after the Commission
submits its legislative proposal, submit to Congress an alternative to
the legislative proposal submitted by the Commission.
SEC. 12. ALTERNATIVE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE
BUDGET.
The Committee on the Budget of either House may, in consultation
with the relevant committees of their respective House and not later
than 60 days after the Commission submits its legislative proposal,
have published in the Congressional Record an alternative to the
legislative proposal submitted by the Commission.
SEC. 13. CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION.
(a) Introduction.--On the first legislative day after the
Commission submits its legislative proposal, the Speaker of the House
of Representatives and the Majority Leader of the Senate shall
introduce (by request) the legislation submitted by the Commission.
(b) In the House of Representatives.--
(1) Privileged consideration.--In the House of
Representatives, if a committee to which the legislation has
been referred has not reported the legislation before the
expiration of the 60-day period described in section 12, then--
(A) that committee shall be discharged from
consideration of the legislation;
(B) the legislation shall be placed on the
appropriate calendar; and
(C) a motion to proceed to the consideration of the
legislation is highly privileged and is not debatable.
(2) Amendments limited.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), an amendment to the legislation may not be offered
in the House of Representatives.
(B) Permitted amendments.--(i) Any Member may
offer, as an amendment in the nature of a substitute,
the alternative legislative proposal submitted by the
President.
(ii) Any Member may offer, as an amendment in the
nature of a substitute, the alternative legislative
proposal submitted by the Commission.
(iii) The chairman of the House Committee on the
Budget may offer, as an amendment in the nature of a
substitute, the alternative legislative proposal
published in the Congressional Record by the House
Committee on the Budget.
(C) Points of order.--An amendment offered under
subparagraph (B) is subject to a point of order if--
(i) the amendment is not accompanied by a
long-term CBO cost estimate of the amendment;
or
(ii) the long-term CBO cost estimate of the
amendment exceeds the long-term CBO cost
estimate of the legislative proposal submitted
by the Commission.
(D) Multiple amendments.--If more than one
amendment is offered under this paragraph, then each
amendment shall be considered separately, and the
amendment receiving both a majority and the highest
number of votes shall be the amendment adopted.
SEC. 14. LONG-TERM CBO COST ESTIMATE.
(a) Preparation and Submission.--When the Commission, the
President, or the chairman of the Committee on the Budget of either
House submits a written request to the Director of the Congressional
Budget Office for a long-term CBO cost estimate of legislation proposed
under this Act or an amendment referred to in section 13(b)(2)(B), the
Director shall prepare the estimate and have it published in the
Congressional Record as expeditiously as possible.
(b) Content.--A long-term CBO cost estimate shall include--
(1) an estimate of the cost of each provision of the
legislation or amendment for first fiscal year it would take
effect and for each of the 50 fiscal years thereafter; and
(2) a statement of any estimated future costs not reflected
by the estimate described in paragraph (1).
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