[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 449 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 449

  To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals to 
 designate that up to 10 percent of their income tax liability be used 
 to reduce the national debt, and to require spending reductions equal 
                     to the amounts so designated.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             February 25 (legislative day, January 5), 1993

   Mr. Smith (for himself, Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. McCain, Mr. Lott, Mr. 
  Brown, and Mr. Burns) introduced the following bill; which was read 
             twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals to 
 designate that up to 10 percent of their income tax liability be used 
 to reduce the national debt, and to require spending reductions equal 
                     to the amounts so designated.

    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 ``Taxpayer Debt Buy-Down Act''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF AMOUNTS FOR REDUCTION OF PUBLIC DEBT.

    (a) In general.--Subchapter A of chapter 61 of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 (relating to returns and records) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new part:

          ``PART IX--DESIGNATION FOR REDUCTION OF PUBLIC DEBT.

                              ``Sec. 6097. Designation.

``SEC. 6097. DESIGNATION.

    ``(a) In General.--Every individual with adjusted income tax 
liability for any taxable year may designate that a portion of such 
liability (not to exceed 10 percent thereof) shall be used to reduce 
the public debt.
    ``(b) Manner and Time of Designation.--A designation under 
subsection (a) may be made with respect to any taxable year only at the 
time of filing the return of tax imposed by chapter 1 for the taxable 
year. The designation shall be made on the first page of the return or 
on the page bearing the taxpayer's signature.
    ``(c) Adjusted Income Tax Liability.--For purposes of this section, 
the term `adjusted income tax liability' means income tax liability (as 
defined in section 6096(b)) reduced by any amount designated under 
section 6096 (relating to designation of income tax payments to 
Presidential Election Campaign Fund).''
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of parts for such subchapter A 
is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

                              ``Part IX. Designation for reduction of 
                                        public debt.''
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years ending after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 3. PUBLIC DEBT REDUCTION TRUST FUND.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter A of chapter 98 of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 (Relating to trust fund code) is amended by adding at the 
end the following section:

``SEC. 9511. PUBLIC DEBT REDUCTION TRUST FUND.

    ``(a) Creation of Trust Fund.--There is established in the Treasury 
of the United States a trust fund to be known as the `Public Debt 
Reduction Trust Fund', consisting of any amount appropriated or 
credited to the Trust Fund as provided in this section or section 
9602(b).
    ``(b) Transfers to Trust Fund.--There are hereby appropriated to 
the Public Debt Reduction Trust Fund amounts equivalent to the amounts 
designated under section 6097 (relating to designation for public debt 
reduction).
    ``(c) Expenditures.--Amounts in the Public Debt Reduction Trust 
Fund shall be available only for purposes of paying at maturity, or to 
redeem or buy before maturity, any obligation of the Federal Government 
included in the public debt. Any obligation which is paid, redeemed, or 
bought with amounts from such Trust Fund shall be canceled and retired 
and may not be reissued.''
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for such subchapter 
is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

                              ``Sec. 9511. Public Debt Reduction Trust 
                                        Fund.''
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to amounts received after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. TAXPAYER-GENERATED SEQUESTRATION OF FEDERAL SPENDING TO REDUCE 
              THE PUBLIC DEBT.

    (a) Sequestration to Reduce the Public Debt.--Part C of the 
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended by 
adding after section 253 the following new section:

``SEC. 253A. SEQUESTRATION TO REDUCE THE PUBLIC DEBT.

    ``(a) Sequestration.--Notwithstanding sections 255 and 256, within 
15 days after Congress adjourns to end a session (other than the One 
Hundred Second Congress), and on the same day as sequestration (if any) 
under sections 251, 252, and 253, but after any sequestration required 
by those sections, there shall be a sequestration equivalent to the 
estimated aggregate amount designated under section 6097 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for the last taxable year ending before 
the beginning of that session of Congress, as estimated by the 
Department of the Treasury on May 1 and as modified by the total of (1) 
any amounts by which net discretionary spending is reduced by 
legislation below the discretionary spending limits (or, in the absence 
of such limits, any net deficit change from the baseline amount 
calculated under section 257, except that such baseline for fiscal year 
1996 and thereafter shall be based upon fiscal year 1995 enacted 
appropriations less any 1995 sequesters) and (2) the net deficit change 
that has resulted from direct spending legislation.
    ``(b) Applicability.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided by paragraph (2), 
        each account of the United States shall be reduced by a dollar 
        amount calculated by multiplying the level of budgetary 
        resources in that account at that time by the uniform 
        percentage necessary to carry out subsection (a). All 
        obligational authority reduced under this section shall be done 
        in a manner that makes such reductions permanent.
            ``(2) Exempt accounts.--No order issued under this part 
        may--
                    ``(A) reduce benefits payable the old-age, 
                survivors, and disability insurance program established 
                under title II of the Social Security Act;
                    ``(B) reduce payments for net interest (all of 
                major functional category 900); or
                    ``(C) make any reduction in the following accounts:
                            ``Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 
                        Bank Insurance Fund;
                            ``Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 
                        FSLIC Resolution Fund;
                            ``Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 
                        Savings Association Insurance Fund;
                            ``National Credit Union Administration, 
                        credit union share insurance fund; or
                            ``Resolution Trust Corporation.''.
    (b) Reports.--Section 254 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 
Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting before the item 
        relating to August 10 the following:
    ``May 1......Department of Treasury report to Congress estimating 
amount of income tax designated pursuant to section 6097 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986.'';
            (2) in subsection (d)(1), by inserting ``, and 
        sequestration to reduce the public debt,'';
            (3) in subsection (d), by redesignating paragraph (5) as 
        paragraph (6) and by inserting after paragraph (4) the 
        following new paragraph:
            ``(5) Sequestration to reduce the public debt reports.--The 
        preview reports shall set forth for the budget year estimates 
        for each of the following:
                    ``(A) The aggregate amount designated under section 
                6097 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for the last 
                taxable year ending before the budget year.
                    ``(B) The amount of reductions required under 
                section 253A and the deficit remaining after those 
                reductions have been made.
                    ``(C) The sequestration percentage necessary to 
                achieve the required reduction in accounts under 
                section 253A(b).''; and
            (4) in subsection (g), by redesignating paragraphs (4) and 
        (5) as paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively, and by inserting 
        after paragraph (3) the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) Sequestration to reduce the public debt reports.--The 
        final reports shall contain all of the information contained in 
        the public debt taxation designation report required on May 
        1.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--Notwithstanding section 275(b) of the Balanced 
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, the expiration date 
set forth in that section shall not apply to the amendments made by 
this section. The amendments made by this section shall cease to have 
any effect after the first fiscal year during which there is no public 
debt.

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