,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ebaa  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #ba1       
#bjai,mr4 ,case 7for himself and ,mr4   
,womack7 introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
the ,budget1 and in addition to the     
,committee on ,rules1 for a period to be
 subsequently determined by the         
,speaker1 in each case for consideration
 of such provisions as fall within the  
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to establish a national     
commission on fiscal responsibility and 
reform1 and for other purposes4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,sustainable ,budget ,act of #bjai4 
#b4 ,establishment of commission  7a7   
,establishment ,not later than #cj days 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 there shall be established within 
the legislative branch a commission to  
be known as the ,national ,commission on
 ,fiscal ,responsibility and ,reform    
7referred to in this ,act as the        

,commission74  7b7 ,membership  7#a7    
,composition of ,commission ,a          
,commission shall be composed of #ah    
members of whom-- 7,a7 six members shall
 be appointed by the ,president1 of whom
 not more than #d shall be from the same
 political party2  7,b7 three members   
shall be appointed by the majority      
leader of the ,senate1 from among       
current ,members of the ,senate2  7,c7  
three members shall be appointed by the 
,speaker of the ,house of               
,representatives1 from among current    
,members of the ,house of               
,representatives2  7,d7 three members   
shall be appointed by the minority      
leader of the ,senate1 from among       
current ,members of the ,senate2 and    
7,e7 three members shall be appointed by
 the minority leader of the ,house of   
,representatives1 from among current    
,members of the ,house of               
,representatives4  7#b7 ,initial        
appointments ,initial appointments to   
the ,commission shall be made not later 

than #fj days after the establishment of
 the ,commission4  7#c7 ,vacancy ,a     
vacancy on the ,commission shall be     
filled in the same manner as the initial
 appointment4  7c7 ,co-,chairpersons    
,from among the members appointed under 
paragraph 7#a71 the ,president shall    
designate #b members1 who shall not be  
of the same political party1 to serve as
 ,co-,chairpersons of the ,commission4  
7d7 ,qualifications ,members appointed  
to the ,commission shall have           
significant depth of experience and     
responsibilities in matters relating to 
government service1 fiscal policy1      
economics1 ,federal agency management or
 private sector management1 public      
administration1 and law4  7e7 ,duties   
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,commission shall 
identify policies to improve the fiscal 
situation in the medium term and to     
achieve fiscal sustainability over the  
long term4  7#b7 ,requirements ,in      
carrying out paragraph 7#a71 the        
,commission shall-- 7,a7 propose        

recommendations designed to balance the 
budget1 excluding interest payments on  
the debt1 by the end of the #aj-year    
period beginning on the date on which   
the ,commission is established1 in order
 to stabilize the debt-to-,,gdp ratio at
 an acceptable level2 and  7,b7 propose 
recommendations that meaningfully       
improve the long-term fiscal outlook1   
including changes to address the growth 
of entitlement spending and the gap     
between the projected revenues and      
expenditures of the ,federal            
,government4  7f7 ,reports  7#a7 ,in    
general  7,a7 ,final report ,not later  
than #a year after the date on which    
members are appointed to the ,commission
 under subsection 7b71 the ,commission  
shall vote on the approval of a final   
report containing the recommendations   
required under subsection 7e74  7,b7    
,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 7,a71   

the ,commission may vote on the approval
 of an interim report containing such   
recommendations described in subsection 
7e7 as the ,commission may provide4     
7#b7 ,approval of report ,the           
,commission may only issue a report     
under this subsection if-- 7,a7 the     
report is approved by not less than #ab 
members of the ,commission2 and  7,b7 of
 the members approving the report1 at   
least #d are members of the same        
political party to which the ,speaker of
 the ,house of ,representatives belongs 
and at least #d are members of the same 
political party to which the minority   
leader of the ,house of ,representatives
 belongs4  7#c7 ,submission of report to
 congress ,each report approved under   
this subsection shall be submitted to   
,congress and made available to the     
public4  7g7 ,powers of the commission  
7#a7 ,hearings ,the ,commission may hold
 such hearings1 sit and act at such     
times and places1 take such testimony1  
and receive such evidence as the        

,commission considers advisable to carry
 out the duties of the ,commission      
described in subsection 7e74  7#b7      
,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 7e74 ,upon      
request from the ,co-,chairpersons of   
the ,commission1 the head of the        
,federal agency shall provide the       
information requested to the            
,commission4  7#c7 ,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 ,government4  
7#d7 ,website  7,a7 ,contents ,the      
,commission shall establish a website   
that shall contain-- 7i7 the            
recommendations required under          
subsection 7e72 and  7ii7 the records of
 attendance of the members of the       
,commission for each meeting of the     

,commission4  7,b7 ,date of publication 
,the ,commission shall publish a        
recommendation or record of attendance  
described under subparagraph 7,a7 on the
 website established under such         
subparagraph not later than #gb hours   
after the conclusion of the meeting at  
which such recommendation is made or at 
which such record of attendance is      
taken4  7h7 ,assistance of other        
legislative branch entities  7#a7       
,government ,accountability ,office ,the
 ,comptroller ,general shall provide    
technical assistance to the ,commission1
 as the ,commission conducts the work of
 the ,commission1 on the findings and   
recommendations of the ,government      
,accountability ,office4  7#b7          
,congressional ,budget ,office ,the     
,director of the ,congressional ,budget 
,office shall provide technical         
assistance to the ,commission1 as the   
,commission conducts the work of the    
,commission1 on the findings and        
recommendations of the ,congressional   

,budget ,office4  7#c7 ,joint ,committee
 on ,taxation ,the chair of the ,joint  
,committee on ,taxation shall provide   
technical assistance to the ,commission1
 as the ,commission conducts the work of
 the ,commission1 on the findings and   
recommendations of the ,joint ,committee
 on ,taxation4  7i7 ,personnel matters  
7#a7 ,in general ,members of the        
,commission shall serve without any     
additional compensation4  7#b7 ,travel  
expenses ,members of the ,commission    
shall be allowed travel expenses1       
including per diem in lieu of           
subsistence1 as rates authorized for    
employees of agencies under subchapter  
,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code1 while away from their    
homes or regular places of business in  
the performance of services for the     
,commission4  7#c7 ,staff  7,a7 ,in     
general ,the ,co-,chairpersons of the   
,commission1 may without regard to the  
civil service laws and regulations1     
appoint and terminate an executive      

director and such other additional      
personnel as may be necessary to enable 
the ,commission to perform its duties4  
,the employment of an executive director
 shall be subject to confirmation by the
 ,commission4  7,b7 ,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 #ea 
and subchapter ,,iii of chapter #ec of  
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1        
relating to the classification of       
positions and ,general ,schedule pay    
rates1 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 #efac of such   
title4  7#d7 ,detail of government      
employees ,any ,federal ,government     
employee may be detailed to the         
,commission without reimbursement1 and  
such detail shall be without            
interruption or loss of civil service   

status or privilege4  7#e7 ,procurement 
of temporary and intermittent services  
,the ,co-,chairpersons of each          
,commission may procure temporary and   
intermittent services under section     
#caji7;b7 of title #e1 ,united ,states  
,code1 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 #ecaf of such title4  7j7 
,termination of the commission ,the     
,commission established shall terminate 
#cj days after the date on which the    
,commission submits the final report of 
the ,commission under subsection 7f74   
7k7 ,rules of construction ,nothing in  
this ,act shall be construed to-- 7#a7  
impair or otherwise affect--  7,a7      
authority granted by law to an executive
 department1 agency1 or the head        
thereof2 or  7,b7 functions of the      
,director of the ,office of ,management 
and ,budget relating to budgetary1      
administrative1 or legislative          

proposals2 or  7#b7 create any right or 
benefit1 substantive or procedural1     
enforceable at law or in equity by any  
party against the ,united ,states1 its  
departments1 agencies1 or entities1 its 
officers1 employees1 or agents1 or any  
other person4  7l7 ,authorization of    
appropriations  7#a7 ,in general ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated to the
 ,commission such sums as may be        
necessary to carry out this ,act4  7#b7 
,availability ,any sums appropriated    
under paragraph 7#a7 shall remain       
available1 without fiscal year          
limitation1 until expended4  7m7        
,federal agency defined ,the term       
,federal agency means an establishment  
in the executive1 legislative1 or       
judicial branch of the ,federal         
,government4  #c4 ,consideration of     
commission recommendations  7a7         
,submission of proposed joint resolution
 ,not later than #fj days after the date
 on which the ,commission submits a     
report to ,congress under section       

#b7;f77#c71 the ,president shall        
transmit to ,congress a special message 
on the report1 accompanied by a proposed
 joint resolution consisting of         
legislative language to implement the   
recommendations contained in such       
report4  7b7 ,requirements for          
preparation of proposed joint resolution
  7#a7 ,consultation with ,congress     
7,a7 ,in general ,the ,president may not
 transmit a proposed joint resolution   
under subsection 7a7 until after the    
,president completes consultation with  
,congress in accordance with this       
paragraph4  7,b7 ,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 resolution4  7,c7   
,requirements for consultation ,the     
consultation required under subparagraph
 7,b7 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--  7i7 recommendations for      
alternative means of addressing the     
recommendations contained in the        
,commission report2 and  7ii7           
recommendations regarding which         
recommendations contained in the        
,commission report should not be        
addressed in the proposed joint         
resolution4  7,d7 ,relevant committees  
,the relevant committees of the ,senate 
and the ,house of ,representatives for  
purposes of this paragraph shall be--   
7i7 determined by the ,president2 and   
7ii7 based on the content of the        
proposed joint resolution4  7#b7        
,consultation with ,,gao and ,,cbo ,the 
,president shall prepare a proposed     
joint resolution transmitted under      
subsection 7a7 in consultation with the 
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states and the ,director of the        
,congressional ,budget ,office4  7c7    
,contents of special message ,a special 

message transmitted under subsection 7a7
 shall-- 7#a7 specify recommendations   
outlined in the ,commission report that 
are excluded from the proposed joint    
resolution2  7#b7 detail why the        
recommendations described in paragraph  
7#a7 were excluded from the proposed    
joint resolution2  7#c7 specify         
recommendations outlined in the         
,commission report that are included in 
the proposed joint resolution2 and  7#d7
 identify programs included in the      
,commission report that should be       
eliminated or consolidated4  7d7        
,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 session4  7e7 ,public  
availability ,the ,president shall make 
a copy of the special message and the   
proposed joint resolution publicly      
available1 including publicly available 
on a website of the ,president1 and     

shall publish in the ,federal ,register 
a notice of the message and information 
on how it can be obtained4  #d4         
,expedited consideration of proposed    
joint resolution  7a7 ,qualifying       
legislation  7#a7 ,in general ,only a   
,commission joint resolution shall be   
entitled to expedited consideration     
under this section4  7#b7 ,definition   
,in this section1 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 #c7;a74  7b7 ,consideration in  
the ,house of ,representatives  7#a7    
,introduction ,a ,commission joint      
resolution may be introduced in the     
,house of ,representatives 7by          
request7-- 7,a7 by the majority leader  
of the ,house of ,representatives1 or by
 a ,member of the ,house of             
,representatives designated by the      
majority leader of the ,house of        
,representatives1 on the next           

legislative day after the date on which 
the ,president submits the proposed     
joint resolution under section #c7;a72  
or  7,b7 if the ,commission joint       
resolution is not introduced under      
subparagraph 7,a71 by any ,member of the
 ,house of ,representatives on any      
legislative day beginning on the        
legislative day after the legislative   
day described in subparagraph 7,a74     
7#b7 ,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 #aj    
legislative days after the date on which
 the ,commission joint resolution was so
 referred4 ,if a committee of the ,house
 of ,representatives fails to report a  
,commission joint resolution within that
 period1 it shall be in order to move   
that the ,house of ,representatives     
discharge the committee from further    

consideration of the ,commission joint  
resolution4 ,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 resolution4 ,the previous        
question shall be considered as ordered 
on the motion to its adoption without   
intervening motion except #bj minutes of
 debate equally divided and controlled  
by the proponent and an opponent4 ,if   
such a motion is adopted1 the ,house of 
,representatives shall proceed          
immediately to consider the ,commission 
joint resolution in accordance with     
paragraphs 7#c7 and 7#d74 ,a motion to  
reconsider the vote by which the motion 
is disposed of shall not be in order4   
7#c7 ,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 
7other than by motion7 from its         
consideration1 it shall be in order to  
move to proceed to consider the         
,commission joint resolution in the     
,house of ,representatives4 ,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 resolution4 ,the  
previous question shall be considered as
 ordered on the motion to its adoption  
without intervening motion4 ,a motion to
 reconsider the vote by which the motion
 is disposed of shall not be in order4  
7#d7 ,consideration ,the ,commission    
joint resolution shall be considered as 
read4 ,all points of order against the  
,commission joint resolution and against
 its consideration are waived4 ,the     
previous question shall be considered as
 ordered on the ,commission joint       
resolution to its passage without       
intervening motion except #b hours of   
debate equally divided and controlled by

 the proponent and an opponent and #a   
motion to limit debate on the           
,commission joint resolution4 ,a motion 
to reconsider the vote on passage of the
 ,commission joint resolution shall not 
be in order4  7#e7 ,vote on passage ,the
 vote on passage of the ,commission     
joint resolution shall occur not later  
than #c 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 discharged4  7c7 
,expedited procedure in the ,senate     
7#a7 ,introduction in the ,senate ,a    
,commission joint resolution may be     
introduced in the ,senate 7by request7--
 7,a7 by the majority leader of the     
,senate1 or by a ,member of the ,senate 
designated by the majority leader of the
 ,senate1 on the next legislative day   
after the date on which the ,president  
submits the proposed joint resolution   
under section #c7;a72 or  7,b7 if the   
,commission joint resolution is not     

introduced under subparagraph 7,a71 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 7,a74  7#b7   
,committee consideration ,a ,commission 
joint resolution introduced in the      
,senate under paragraph 7#a7 shall be   
jointly referred to the committee or    
committees of jurisdiction1 which       
committees shall report the ,commission 
joint resolution without any revision   
and with a favorable recommendation1 an 
unfavorable recommendation1 or without  
recommendation1 not later than #aj      
session days after the date on which the
 ,commission joint resolution was so    
referred4 ,if any committee to which a  
,commission joint resolution is referred
 fails to report the ,commission joint  
resolution within that period1 that     
committee shall be automatically        
discharged from consideration of the    
,commission joint resolution1 and the   
,commission joint resolution shall be   

placed on the appropriate calendar4     
7#c7 ,proceeding ,notwithstanding rule  
,,xxii of the ,standing ,rules of the   
,senate1 it is in order1 not later than 
#b 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 referred1 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 resolution4 ,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 #b-;day period4 ,a   
motion to proceed is in order even      
though a previous motion to the same    
effect has been disagreed to4 ,all      
points of order against the motion to   
proceed to the ,commission joint        
resolution are waived4 ,the motion to   
proceed is not debatable4 ,the motion is

 not subject to a motion to postpone4 ,a
 motion to reconsider the vote by which 
the motion is agreed to or disagreed to 
shall not be in order4 ,if a motion to  
proceed to the consideration of the     
,commission joint resolution is agreed  
to1 the ,commission joint resolution    
shall remain the unfinished business    
until disposed of4 ,all points of order 
against a ,commission joint resolution  
and against consideration of the        
,commission joint resolution are waived4
  7#d7 ,no amendments ,an amendment to a
 ,commission joint resolution1 or a     
motion to postpone1 or a motion to      
proceed to the consideration of other   
business1 or a motion to recommit the   
,commission joint resolution1 is not in 
order4  7#e7 ,rulings of the ,chair on  
procedure ,appeals from the decisions of
 the ,chair relating to the application 
of the rules of the ,senate1 as the case
 may be1 to the procedure relating to a 
,commission joint resolution shall be   
decided without debate4  7d7 ,amendment 

,a ,commission joint resolution shall   
not be subject to amendment in either   
the ,senate or the ,house of            
,representatives4  7e7 ,consideration by
 the other ,house  7#a7 ,in general ,if1
 before passing a ,commission joint     
resolution1 a ,house receives from the  
other ,house a ,commission joint        
resolution of the other ,house--  7,a7  
the ,commission joint resolution of the 
other ,house shall not be referred to a 
committee2 and  7,b7 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 passage1 when the     
,commission joint resolution received   
from the other ,house shall supplant the
 ,commission joint resolution of the    
receiving ,house4  7#b7 ,revenue        
measures ,this subsection shall not     
apply to the ,house of ,representatives 
if a ,commission joint resolution       
received from the ,senate is a revenue  
measure4  7f7 ,rules ,to coordinate     

action with other ,house  7#a7          
,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 section1 the      
,commission joint resolution of the     
,house of ,representatives shall be     
entitled to expedited floor procedures  
under this section4  7#b7 ,treatment of 
companion measures in the ,senate ,if1  
following passage of a ,commission joint
 resolution in the ,senate1 the ,senate 
then receives from the ,house of        
,representatives a ,commission joint    
resolution1 the ,house-passed           
,commission joint resolution shall not  
be debatable4 ,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 
,representatives4  7#c7 ,vetoes ,if the 
,president vetoes a ,commission joint   

resolution1 consideration of a veto     
message in the ,senate under this       
paragraph shall be #aj hours equally    
divided between the majority and        
minority leaders of the ,senate or the  
designees of the majority and minority  
leaders of the ,senate4  7g7 ,exercise  
of rulemaking power ,this section is    
enacted by ,congress-- 7#a7 as an       
exercise of the rulemaking power of the 
,senate and ,house of ,representatives1 
respectively1 and as such it is deemed a
 part of the rules of each ,house1      
respectively1 but applicable only with  
respect to the procedure to be followed 
in that ,house in the case of a         
,commission joint resolution1 and it    
supersedes other rules only to the      
extent that it is inconsistent with such
 rules2 and  7#b7 with full recognition 
of the constitutional right of either   
,house to change the rules 7so far as   
relating to the procedure of that       
,house7 at any time1 in the same manner1
 and to the same extent as in the case  

of any other rule of that ,house4