[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3717 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3717

          To allow for moderate growth of mandatory spending.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 22, 1993

Mr. Zimmer introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to 
           the Committees on Government Operations and Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
          To allow for moderate growth of mandatory spending.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) mandatory spending has increased from $32,000,000,000 
        in 1962 to $770,000,000,000 in 1993;
            (2) mandatory spending now accounts for over half of all 
        Federal outlays, up from 30 percent in 1962;
            (3) over the next five years, mandatory spending will grow 
        by $5,400,000,000,000 over and above inflation increases and 
        increases for new beneficiaries;
            (4) the Federal budget deficit, projected to exceed 
        $650,000,000,000 in 2003, will continue to expand unless the 
        growth in mandatory spending is brought under control; and
            (5) the current budget process does not provide adequate 
        controls on the growth of mandatory spending.

SEC. 2. CAP ON INCREASE IN MANDATORY SPENDING.

    (a) In General.--Effective beginning with fiscal year 1994 and 
fiscal years thereafter, the growth of each individual mandatory 
program except Social Security shall not exceed a level that is--
            (1) adjusted for beneficiary and inflation growth, plus
            (2) 2 percent for fiscal year 1994 and 1 percent for fiscal 
        year 1995.
    (b) Congressional Budget.--
            (1) Budget resolution.--The congressional budget resolution 
        for a fiscal year shall not provide mandatory funding levels 
        that exceed levels established in subsection (a).
            (2) Point of order.--It shall not be in order in the Senate 
        or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, 
        resolution, amendment, or conference report if such bill, 
        resolution, amendment, or conference report would cause 
        mandatory funding levels to exceed levels established in 
        subsection (a). This point of order may only be waived or 
        suspended by a vote of three-fifths of the Members, duly chosen 
        and sworn.
    (c) Implementation.--
            (1) President's report and recommendations.--If in any 
        fiscal year the President projects that the spending for any 
        mandatory program will exceed the level established under 
        subsection (a), the President shall, before April 15 of each 
        fiscal year, recommend to the Congress legislative changes, 
        including changes in eligibility for benefits, to address the 
        mandatory spending overages, if any, in the prior, current, or 
        budget year.
            (2) Congress acts.--Within 10 days after the President's 
        recommendations are submitted, the Congress shall make relevant 
        changes in laws to reduce the mandatory spending to the cap 
        levels as required under subsection (a).
            (3) Sequester.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
        if the Congress fails to make such changes in laws, there shall 
        be a sequester in any fiscal year to reduce spending for 
        mandatory programs except Social Security if such an individual 
        program exceeded the cap levels established in subsection (a). 
        Such sequester shall institute pro rata reduction of all 
        benefit payments made under programs subject to the provisions 
        of this Act.

SEC. 3. DEFINITION.

    For the purpose of this Act, the term ``individual mandatory 
program'' means a program that makes payments to any person, business, 
or unit of government that seeks the payments and that meets 
eligibility criteria established by law. The term includes--
            (1) Farm Price Supports;
            (2) Family Social Services--Foster Care and Adoption 
        Assistance;
            (3) Guaranteed Student Loan Program;
            (4) Medicaid;
            (5) Hospital Insurance;
            (6) Supplemental Medical Insurance;
            (7) Railroad Retirement;
            (8) Civil Service Pensions;
            (9) Military Pensions;
            (10) Unemployment Compensation;
            (11) Child Nutrition Program;
            (12) Supplemental Security Income;
            (13) Family Support Pay;
            (14) Veteran's Compensation and Pensions;
            (15) Food Stamps;
            (16) Housing Assistance;
            (17) Vocational Rehabilitation;
            (18) Readjustment Benefits;
            (19) FDIC and FSLIC; and
            (20) other mandatory spending programs under categories 
        established by the Congressional Budget Office.

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