[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1896 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1896

   To eliminate the automatic inflation increases for discretionary 
    programs built into the baseline projections and require budget 
         estimates to be compared with the prior year's level.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 17, 2011

 Ms. Ayotte (for herself and Mr. Johnson of Wisconsin) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                               the Budget

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To eliminate the automatic inflation increases for discretionary 
    programs built into the baseline projections and require budget 
         estimates to be compared with the prior year's level.

    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 ``Baseline Elimination Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. CHANGES IN THE BASELINE.

    Section 257(c) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 
Act of 1985 is amended--
            (1) in the second sentence of paragraph (1), by striking 
        everything that follows ``current year,'' and inserting 
        ``excluding resources designated as an emergency requirement 
        and any resources provided in supplemental appropriation 
        laws.'';
            (2) by striking paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5);
            (3) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (2); and
            (4) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) No adjustment for inflation.--No adjustment shall be 
        made for inflation or for any other factor.''.

SEC. 3. THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET.

    (a) Expenditures and Appropriations.--Paragraph (5) of section 
1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
            ``(5) except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, 
        estimated expenditures and appropriations for the current year 
        and estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations the 
        President decides are necessary to support the Government in 
        the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted and at least 
        the 4 fiscal years following that year, and, except for 
        detailed budget estimates, the percentage change from the 
        current year to the fiscal year for which the budget is 
        submitted for estimated expenditures and for appropriations.''.
    (b) Receipts.--Section 1105(a)(6) of title 31, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows:
            ``(6) estimated receipts of the Government in the current 
        year and the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted and 
        at least the 4 fiscal years after that year under--
                    ``(A) laws in effect when the budget is submitted; 
                and
                    ``(B) proposals in the budget to increase revenues,
        and the percentage change (in the case of each category 
        referred to in subparagraphs (A) and (B)) between the current 
        year and the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted and 
        between the current year and each of the 9 fiscal years after 
        the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted.''.
    (c) Legislative Proposals.--Section 1105(a)(12) of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
            ``(12) for each proposal in the budget for legislation that 
        establishes or expands a Government activity or function, a 
        table showing--
                    ``(A) the amount proposed in the budget for 
                appropriation and for expenditure because of the 
                proposal in the fiscal year for which the budget is 
                submitted;
                    ``(B) the estimated appropriation required because 
                of the proposal for each of at least the 4 fiscal years 
                after that year that the proposal will be in effect; 
                and
                    ``(C) the estimated amount for the same activity or 
                function, if any, in the current fiscal year,
        and, except for detailed budget estimates, the percentage 
        change (in the case of each category referred to in 
        subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C)) between the current year and 
        the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted.''.
    (d) Comparisons.--Section 1105(a)(18) of title 31, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting ``new budget authority and'' before 
``budget outlays''.
    (e) Expenditures and Tables.--Section 1105(a) of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended by--
            (1) redesignating paragraph (37) following paragraph (38) 
        as paragraph (39); and
            (2) adding at the end the following:
            ``(40) a comparison of levels of estimated expenditures and 
        proposed appropriations for each function and subfunction in 
        the current fiscal year and the fiscal year for which the 
        budget is submitted, along with the proposed increase or 
        decrease of spending in percentage terms for each function and 
        subfunction.
            ``(41) a table on sources of growth in total direct 
        spending under current law and as proposed in this budget 
        submission for the budget year and at least the ensuing 9 
        fiscal years, which shall include changes in outlays 
        attributable to the following: cost-of-living adjustments; 
        changes in the number of program recipients; increases in 
        medical care prices, utilization and intensity of medical care; 
        and residual factors.''.
    (f) Current Programs.--Section 1109(a) of title 31, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after the first sentence the following: 
``For discretionary spending, these estimates shall assume the levels 
no higher than those set forth in the discretionary spending limits 
under section 251(c) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit 
Control Act of 1985, as adjusted, for the appropriate fiscal years (and 
if no such limits are in effect, these estimates shall assume adjusted 
levels no higher than those for the most recent fiscal year for which 
such levels were in effect).''.

SEC. 4. THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET.

    Section 301(e) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (as amended 
by section 103) is further amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting at the end the 
        following: ``The basis of deliberations in developing such 
        joint resolution shall be the estimated budgetary levels for 
        the preceding fiscal year. Any budgetary levels pending before 
        the committee and the text of the joint resolution shall be 
        accompanied by a document comparing such levels or such text to 
        the estimated levels of the prior fiscal year.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon;
                    (B) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(G) a comparison of levels for the current fiscal 
                year with proposed spending and revenue levels for the 
                subsequent fiscal years along with the proposed 
                increase or decrease of spending in percentage terms 
                for each function.''.

SEC. 5. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE REPORTS TO COMMITTEES.

    (a) Comparable Levels.--The first sentence of section 202(e)(1) of 
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by inserting ``compared 
to comparable levels for the current year'' before the comma at the end 
of subparagraph (A) and before the comma at the end of subparagraph 
(B).
    (b) Sources of Spending Growth.--Section 202(e)(1) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by inserting after the 
first sentence the following new sentence: ``Such report shall also 
include a table on sources of spending growth in total direct spending, 
revenue, deficit, and debt for the budget year and the ensuing 4 fiscal 
years, which shall include changes in outlays attributable to the 
following:
                    ``(A) Cost-of-living adjustments.
                    ``(B) Changes in the number of program recipients.
                    ``(C) Increases in medical care prices, utilization 
                and intensity of medical care.
                    ``(D) Residual factors.''.
    (c) Comparison of Levels.--Section 308(a)(1)(B) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended by inserting ``and shall 
include a comparison of those levels to comparable levels for the 
current fiscal year'' before ``if timely submitted''.
                                 <all>