[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 71 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 71

    Providing for a plan to alleviate the effects of sequestration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 2015

  Mr. Rigell submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
    referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the 
Committees on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Armed Services, 
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

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
    Providing for a plan to alleviate the effects of sequestration.

Whereas there is strong bipartisan agreement that the Federal spending mechanism 
        known as ``sequestration'' is severely impeding Congress' ability to 
        properly budget;
Whereas there is strong bipartisan agreement that the cuts now in effect as a 
        result of sequestration are severe, and will cause even greater harm if 
        allowed to continue into fiscal year 2016;
Whereas there is strong bipartisan agreement that the harm sequestration is 
        doing to national defense, in particular, is grave and unacceptable, 
        especially given that external threats are increasing worldwide;
Whereas sequestration is a result of the failure of the Joint Select Committee 
        on Deficit Reduction, established by the Budget Control Act, to reach a 
        principled compromise;
Whereas sequestration will continue to distort the budget process into fiscal 
        year 2016 unless legislation is passed by Congress and signed into law 
        by President Obama that would restore allocation levels;
Whereas the Budget Control Act was signed into law on August 2, 2011, and 
        sequestration went into effect on March 1, 2013;
Whereas the Ryan-Murray agreement provided a short-term increase of the budget 
        caps through September 30, 2015;
Whereas only 12 legislative days for the House of Representatives and 15 
        legislative days for the Senate are tentatively scheduled in September, 
        prior to the end of fiscal year 2015;
Whereas Congress has not considered any proposals during the 114th Congress that 
        would alter or replace the statutory caps required by sequestration; and
Whereas our system of governance does not function without a willingness of a 
        majority of Members of the House of Representatives and Senators to vote 
        for a principled compromise based on sound policy, empirical data, and 
        fact-driven projections: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) must meet its constitutional obligation to provide for 
        the common defense of the United States by restoring cuts 
        mandated by sequestration;
            (2) acknowledges and reaffirms that providing for the 
        common defense of the United States is a shared duty, which 
        eclipses partisanship and party affiliation;
            (3) will have as its first legislative priority the 
        enactment of legislation which restores no less than 75 percent 
        of the pre-sequester levels established by the Budget Control 
        Act of 2011;
            (4) will, simultaneously with the reversal of the cuts, 
        enact legislation which fully offsets the increases in 
        discretionary spending through a combination of reductions to 
        mandatory spending and increases in revenue;
            (5) will reform mandatory spending by including in the 
        legislation a Chained Consumer Price Index for Social Security 
        and further means testing for Medicare; and
            (6) will increase revenues by including in the legislation 
        the closure of tax loopholes and a cap on deductions for high-
        income households.
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