[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6967 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6967

 To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 
to require that, for a fiscal year, the total amount of money dedicated 
for earmarks may not exceed the estimated budget surplus for that year.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 18, 2008

  Mrs. McMorris Rodgers (for herself and Mr. McCotter) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Rules, and in 
      addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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 amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 
to require that, for a fiscal year, the total amount of money dedicated 
for earmarks may not exceed the estimated budget surplus for that year.

    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 ``Debt Repayment Instead of Pork Act 
of 2008''.

SEC. 2. BUDGETARY ENFORCEMENT TO LIMIT MONEY DEDICATED FOR EARMARKS.

    (a) In General.--Title III of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

           ``limitation on total annual outlays for earmarks

    ``Sec. 316.  (a) Limitation.--It shall not be in order in the House 
of Representatives or the Senate to consider any bill, joint 
resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report providing new 
budget authority for earmarks if--
            ``(1) the enactment of that bill or resolution as reported;
            ``(2) the adoption and enactment of that amendment; or
            ``(3) the enactment of that bill or resolution in the form 
        recommended in that conference report;
would cause the level of total outlays for earmarks for any fiscal year 
to exceed the amount of the estimated budget surplus for that fiscal 
year. For any fiscal year in which there is no budget surplus, it shall 
not be in order to consider any such measure that carries an earmark.
    ``(b) Estimates of Surpluses.--By March 1 of each calendar year, 
the Director of the Congressional Budget Office shall prepare an 
estimate of the surplus or deficit for the fiscal year beginning in 
that calendar year and submit that estimate to the Committees on the 
Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
    ``(c) Definition.--As used in this section, the term `earmark' has 
the meaning given the term `congressional earmark' by clause 9(d) of 
rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents set forth in 
section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 
1974 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 315 the 
following new item:

``Sec. 316. Limitation on total annual outlays for earmarks.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply to fiscal years 
beginning after its date of enactment.
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