Securing America's Future Economy Commission Act, or SAFE Commission Act - Establishes the Securing America's Future Economy (SAFE) Commission to develop legislation designed to address: (1) the unsustainable imbalance between long-term federal spending commitments and projected revenues; (2) increases in net national savings to provide for domestic investment and economic growth; (3) the implications of foreign ownership of federally issued debt instruments; and (4) revision of the budget process to place greater emphasis on long-term fiscal issues.
Requires the Commission to: (1) develop one or two methods for estimating the cost of legislation as an alternative to the current Congressional Budget Office (CBO) method; and (2) hold at least one town-hall style public hearing within each federal reserve district.
Requires the Commission to submit a legislative proposal to Congress and the President. Authorizes the President to submit to Congress an alternative proposal. Authorizes the Committee on the Budget of either chamber to publish its own alternative proposal in the Congressional Record.
Sets forth procedures for consideration of such legislation.
Requires CBO to prepare a long-term cost estimate and have it published in the Congressional Record as expeditiously as possible whenever requested to do so by the Commission, the President, or the chairman or ranking minority member of the Committee on the Budget of either chamber.
[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 304 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 304
To establish a commission to develop legislation designed to reform tax
policy and entitlement benefit programs and to ensure a sound fiscal
future for the United States, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 16, 2007
Mr. Voinovich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on the Budget
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a commission to develop legislation designed to reform tax
policy and entitlement benefit programs and to ensure a sound fiscal
future for the United States, and for other purposes.
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 ``Securing America's Future Economy
Commission Act'' or ``SAFE Commission Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established a commission to be known as the ``Securing
America's Future Economy Commission'' (hereinafter in this Act referred
to as the ``Commission'').
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.
(a) Mandatory Legislation Development.--
(1) Issues to address.--The Commission shall examine the
long-term fiscal challenges facing the United States and
develop legislation designed to address the following issues:
(A) The unsustainable imbalance between long-term
Federal spending commitments and projected revenues.
(B) Increasing net national savings to provide for
domestic investment and economic growth.
(C) The implications of foreign ownership of debt
instruments issued by the United States Government.
(D) Improving the budget process to place greater
emphasis on long-term fiscal issues.
(2) Policy solutions.--Legislation developed to address the
issues described in paragraph (1) may include the following:
(A) Reforms that limit the growth of entitlement
spending to ensure that the programs are fiscally
sustainable.
(B) Reforms that strengthen the safety net
functions of entitlement programs.
(C) Reforms that make United States tax laws more
efficient and more conducive to encouraging economic
growth.
(D) Incentives to increase private savings.
(E) Any other reforms designed to address the
issues described in paragraph (1).
(b) Optional Development of Cost Estimate Alternatives.--The
Commission shall by an affirmative vote of 5 members develop not more
than 2 methods for estimating the cost of legislation as an alternative
to the method currently used by the Congressional Budget Office. Any
such alternative method must--
(1) be designed to address any shortcomings in the method
currently used with regard to estimating the positive economic
effects of legislation; and
(2) consider the use of automatic stabilizers or triggers
to enforce spending and revenue targets, in the event that
policies based on the alternative method fail to achieve
targets for outlays and revenues.
(c) Limitation.--Any alternative method developed pursuant to
subsection (b) shall generally comply with subsections (b), (c), and
(d) of section 14.
SEC. 4. INITIAL TOWN-HALL STYLE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
(a) In General.--The Commission shall hold at least 1 town-hall
style public hearing within each Federal Reserve district, and shall,
to the extent feasible, ensure that there is broad public participation
in the hearings.
(b) Hearing Format.--During each hearing, the Commission shall
present to the public, and generate comments and suggestions regarding,
the issues described in section 3, policies designed to address those
issues, and tradeoffs between such policies.
SEC. 5. REPORT.
The Commission shall, not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, submit a report to Congress and the President
containing the following:
(1) A detailed description of the long-term fiscal problems
faced by the United States.
(2) A list of policy options for addressing those problems.
(3) A summary of comments and suggestions generated from
the town-hall style public hearings.
(4) A detailed statement of any findings of the Commission
as to public preferences regarding the issues, policies, and
tradeoffs presented in the town-hall style public hearings.
(5) Criteria for the legislative proposal to be developed
by the Commission.
(6) A detailed description of the other activities of the
Commission.
SEC. 6. LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL.
(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date the report
is submitted under section 5 and by a vote of \3/4\ of the members, the
Commission shall submit a legislative proposal to Congress and the
President designed to address the issues described in section 3.
(b) Proposal Requirements.--The proposal shall, to the extent
feasible, be designed to--
(1) achieve generational equity and long-term economic
stability;
(2) address the comments and suggestions of the public; and
(3) meet the criteria set forth in the Commission report.
(c) Inclusion of Cost Estimate.--The Commission shall submit with
the proposal--
(1) a long-term CBO cost estimate prepared under section 14
for the proposal; and
(2) if an alternative cost estimate method is developed by
the Commission, a 50-year cost estimate using such method.
SEC. 7. MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS.
(a) In General.--The Commission shall be composed of 16 voting
members appointed pursuant to paragraph (1) and 2 nonvoting members
described in paragraph (2).
(1) Voting members.--The Commission shall be composed of 16
voting members of whom--
(A) one shall be the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget;
(B) one shall be the Secretary of the Treasury;
(C) four shall be appointed by the Majority Leader
of the Senate;
(D) three shall be appointed by the Minority Leader
of the Senate;
(E) four shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives; and
(F) three shall be appointed by the Minority Leader
of the House of Representatives.
(2) Nonvoting members.--The Comptroller General of the
United States and the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office shall each be nonvoting members of the Commission and
shall advise and assist at the request of the Commission.
(3) Co-chairpersons.--The President shall designate 2 Co-
Chairpersons of the Commission from among the members appointed
under paragraph (1), one of whom shall be a Republican and one
of whom shall be a Democrat.
(b) Limitation as to Members of Congress.--
(1) Four members of congress on the commission.--Each
appointing authority described in subsection (a)(1) who is a
Member of Congress shall appoint 1 Member of Congress to the
Commission but may not appoint more than 1 Member of Congress
to the Commission.
(2) Continuation of voting membership.--In the case of an
individual appointed pursuant to subsection (a)(1) who was
appointed as a Member of Congress under paragraph (1), if such
individual is no longer a Member of Congress they shall no
longer be eligible to serve on the Commission. Such individual
shall be removed from the Commission and replaced in accordance
with subsection (d)(2).
(c) Date for Original Appointment.--The appointing authorities
described in subsection (a)(1) shall appoint the initial members of the
Commission not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this
Act.
(d) Terms.--
(1) In general.--The term of each member is for the life of
the Commission.
(2) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled
not later than 30 days after the date on which the vacancy
occurs and in the manner in which the original appointment was
made.
(e) Pay and Reimbursement.--
(1) No compensation for members of commission.--Except as
provided in paragraph (2), a member of the Commission may not
receive pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service
on the Commission.
(2) Travel expenses.--Each member shall receive travel
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence under
subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
(f) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet upon the call of the Co-
Chairpersons or a majority of its voting members.
(g) Quorum.--Six voting members of the Commission shall constitute
a quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
SEC. 8. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION.
(a) Director.--
(1) In general.--Subject to subsection (c) and to the
extent provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the
Commission shall appoint and fix the pay of a director.
(2) Duties.--The director of the Commission shall be
responsible for the administration and coordination of the
duties of the Commission and shall perform other such duties as
the Commission may require.
(b) Staff.--In accordance with rules agreed upon by the Commission,
subject to subsection (c), and to the extent provided in advance in
appropriation Acts, the director may appoint and fix the pay of
additional personnel.
(c) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--The director and
staff of the Commission may be appointed without regard to the
provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in
the competitive service, and may be paid without regard to the
provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title
relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that
pay fixed under subsection (a) may not exceed $150,000 per year and pay
fixed under subsection (b) may not exceed a rate equal to the daily
equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay for level V of the Executive
Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.
(d) Detailees.--Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to
the Commission without reimbursement from the Commission, and such
detailee shall retain the rights, status, and privileges of their
regular employment without interruption.
(e) Experts and Consultants.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), in accordance
with rules agreed upon by the Commission and to the extent
provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the director may
procure the services of experts and consultants under section
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not to
exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay for
level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title
5, United States Code.
(2) Exclusion of lobbyists and agents of foreign
governments.--In no case may any individual who is a registered
lobbyist or an agent of a foreign government serve as an expert
or a consultant under this subsection.
(f) Resources.--The Commission shall have reasonable access to
materials, resources, statistical data, and other information the
Commission determines to be necessary to carry out its duties from the
Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, the Administrator
of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Secretary of the
Treasury, and other agencies and representatives of the executive and
legislative branches of the Federal Government. The Co-Chairpersons
shall make requests for such access in writing when necessary.
SEC. 9. POWERS OF COMMISSION.
(a) Hearings and Evidence.--The Commission may, for the purpose of
carrying out this Act, hold such hearings in addition to the town-hall
style public hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such
testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission considers
appropriate. The Commission may administer oaths or affirmations to
witnesses appearing before it.
(b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the
Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action which
the Commission is authorized to take under this section.
(c) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and
agencies of the United States.
(d) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities
under this Act.
(e) Contract Authority.--To the extent provided in advance in
appropriation Acts, the Commission may enter into contracts to enable
the Commission to discharge its duties under this Act.
(f) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or
donations of services or property.
SEC. 10. TERMINATION.
The Commission shall terminate on the date that is the earlier of--
(1) 60 days after the Commission submits its legislative
proposal; or
(2) the date on which the Comptroller General of the United
States determines and publishes in the Federal Register a
statement that new legislation has been enacted that is
estimated to reduce the fiscal gap by--
(A) 1 percent of gross domestic product, measured
over the 20-year period beginning with the first fiscal
year after the enactment of such legislation; and
(B) 2 percent of gross domestic product, measured
over the 50-year period beginning with the first fiscal
year after the enactment of such legislation.
SEC. 11. ALTERNATIVE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL OF THE PRESIDENT.
The President may, not later than 90 calendar days after the
Commission submits its legislative proposal, submit to Congress an
alternative to the legislative proposal submitted by the Commission.
SEC. 12. ALTERNATIVE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS.
(a) From the Committee on the Budget.--The Committee on the Budget
of either House may, in consultation with the relevant committees of
their respective House and not later than 90 calendar days after the
Commission submits its legislative proposal, have published in the
Congressional Record an alternative to the legislative proposal
submitted by the Commission.
(b) From Ranking Member.--The ranking minority member of the
Committee on the Budget of either House may, not later than 90 calendar
days after the Commission submits its legislative proposal, have
published in the Congressional Record an alternative to the legislative
proposal submitted by the Commission.
SEC. 13. CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION.
(a) Introduction.--Not later than the fifth legislative day after
the Commission submits its legislative proposal, the majority leader of
each House or the majority leader's designee shall introduce (by
request) the legislation submitted by the Commission.
(b) In the House of Representatives.--
(1) Privileged consideration.--In the House of
Representatives, the legislation shall be reported to the
Committee on the Budget, which shall report the bill without
substantive revision. If the Committee on the Budget has not
reported the legislation before the expiration of the 90-day
period described in section 12, then--
(A) that committee shall be discharged from
consideration of the legislation;
(B) the legislation shall be placed on the
appropriate calendar; and
(C) a motion to proceed to the consideration of the
legislation shall be highly privileged and shall not be
debatable, and a motion to reconsider the vote by which
the motion is disposed of shall not be in order.
(2) Consideration.--To the extent not inconsistent with
this Act, consideration of such legislation shall be pursuant
to the procedures set forth in paragraphs (2), (5), and (6) of
section 305(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
(3) Amendments limited.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), an amendment to the legislation may not be offered
in the House of Representatives.
(B) Permitted amendments.--(i) Any Member may
offer, as an amendment in the nature of a substitute,
the alternative legislative proposal submitted by the
President.
(ii) The chairman of the House Committee on the
Budget may offer, as an amendment in the nature of a
substitute, the alternative legislative proposal
published in the Congressional Record by the House
Committee on the Budget.
(iii) The ranking minority member of the House
Committee on the Budget may offer, as an amendment in
the nature of a substitute, the alternative legislative
proposal published in the Congressional Record by such
ranking minority member
(C) Point of order.--
(i) In general.--An amendment offered under
subparagraph (B) is subject to a point of order
if--
(I) the amendment is not
accompanied by a long-term CBO cost
estimate of the amendment or a long-
term revenue estimate of the amendment
by the Joint Committee of Taxation
(including the information described in
section 14); or
(II) it would increase the deficit
or cause a deficit either for the
period of the first 20 fiscal years
beginning with the first fiscal year
after the current fiscal year or for
the period of the first 50 fiscal years
beginning with the first fiscal year
after the current fiscal year, as
judged against the baseline.
(ii) Baseline calculation.--For purposes of
clause (i)(II), the baseline shall be
calculated using the assumption that the
legislation submitted by the Commission has
been enacted into law, subject to the
limitation imposed by section 14(d).
(iii) Waiver of point of order.--A point of
order raised in accordance with clause (i) may
only be waived or suspended in the House of
Representatives by a resolution devoted solely
to the subject of waiving that point of order.
(D) Multiple amendments.--If more than one
amendment is offered under this paragraph, then each
amendment shall be considered separately, and the
amendment receiving both a majority and the highest
number of votes shall be the amendment adopted.
(4) Transmittal to the senate.--If legislation passes the
House pursuant to this subsection, the Clerk of the House of
Representatives shall cause the legislation to be engrossed,
certified, and transmitted to the Senate within one calendar
day of the day on which the legislation is passed. The
legislation shall be referred to the Senate Committee on the
Budget.
(c) In the Senate.--
(1) Automatic discharge of senate budget committee.--If the
Senate Committee on the Budget has not reported the legislation
before the expiration of the 90-day period described in section
12, then--
(A) the committee shall be discharged from
consideration of the legislation; and
(B) a motion to proceed to the consideration of the
legislation is highly privileged and is not debatable.
(2) Consideration.--To the extent not inconsistent with
this Act, consideration of such legislation shall be pursuant
to the procedures set forth in paragraphs (1),(2), (5), and (6)
of section 305(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
(3) Amendments limited.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), an amendment to the legislation may not be offered
in the Senate.
(B) Permitted amendments.--(i) Any Member may
offer, as an amendment in the nature of a substitute,
the alternative legislative proposal submitted by the
President.
(ii) The chairman of the Senate Committee on the
Budget may offer, as an amendment in the nature of a
substitute, the alternative legislative proposal
published in the Congressional Record by the Senate
Committee on the Budget.
(iii) The ranking minority member of the Senate
Committee on the Budget may offer, as an amendment in
the nature of a substitute, the alternative legislative
proposal published in the Congressional Record by such
ranking minority member.
(C) Point of order.--
(i) In general.--An amendment offered under
subparagraph (B) is subject to a point of order
if--
(I) the amendment is not
accompanied by a long-term CBO cost
estimate of the amendment or a long-
term revenue estimate of the amendment
by the Joint Committee of Taxation
(including the information described in
section 14); or
(II) it would increase the deficit
or cause a deficit either for the
period of the first 20 fiscal years
beginning with the first fiscal year
after the current fiscal year or for
the period of the first 50 fiscal years
beginning with the first fiscal year
after the current fiscal year, as
judged against the baseline.
(ii) Baseline calculation.--For purposes of
clause (i)(II), the baseline shall be
calculated using the assumption that the
legislation submitted by the Commission has
been enacted into law, subject to the
limitation imposed by section 14(d).
(iii) Waiver of point of order.--A point of
order raised in accordance with clause (i) may
only be waived or suspended in the Senate by an
affirmative vote of \3/5\ of the Members duly
chosen and sworn.
(D) Multiple amendments.--If more than one
amendment is offered under this paragraph, then each
amendment shall be considered separately, and the
amendment receiving both a majority and the highest
number of votes shall be the amendment adopted.
(d) Prohibition on Concurrent Consideration of Other Budget-Related
Legislation.--
(1) Prohibition on concurrent consideration of other
budget-related legislation.--
(A) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), until a
bill or joint resolution considered pursuant to the
procedures of this section or a conference report
thereon has been enrolled and presented to the
President of the United States, it shall not be in
order in either the House of Representatives or the
Senate to consider any bill or joint resolution,
amendment or motion thereto, or conference report
thereon that--
(i) provides new budget authority for any
fiscal year;
(ii) provides for an increase in outlays
for any fiscal year;
(iii) provides a decrease in revenues
during any fiscal year; or
(iv) provides an increase in the public
debt limit to become effective during any
fiscal year.
(B) Application of prohibition.--Clauses (i)
through (iv) of subparagraph (A) shall be applied on a
provision-by-provision basis.
(2) Exceptions.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any--
(A) measure under consideration prior to the
introduction, in either House, of a bill or joint
resolution considered pursuant to the procedures of
this section;
(B) measure considered after a bill or joint
resolution considered pursuant to the procedures of
this section has been defeated in either House; or
(C) general appropriation bill or amendment
thereto, but only to the extent of discretionary new
budget authority provided for the budget year or for
the first or second fiscal year after the budget year.
(3) Waivers.--
(A) House of representatives.--In the House of
Representatives, if a special rule is considered that
would waive points of order pursuant to paragraph (1),
a motion to strike the provision waiving such points of
order shall be in order.
(B) Senate.--In the Senate, a point of order
properly raised pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be
waived only by an affirmative vote of \2/3\ of the
Members duly chosen and sworn.
(e) Application of Congressional Budget Act.--To the extent that
they are relevant and not inconsistent with this Act, the provisions of
title III of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 shall apply in the
House of Representatives and the Senate to any bill or joint
resolution, any amendment thereto, and any conference report thereon
that is considered pursuant to this section.
(f) Rules of the Senate and the House of Representatives.--This
section is enacted by Congress--
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate
and the House of Representatives, respectively, and is deemed
to be part of the rules of each House, respectively, but
applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in
that House in the case of a bill introduced pursuant to this
section, and it supersedes other rules only to the extent that
it is inconsistent with such rules; and
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of
either House to change the rules (so far as they relate to the
procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and
to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that
House.
SEC. 14. LONG-TERM CBO COST ESTIMATE.
(a) Preparation and Submission.--When the Commission, the
President, or the Chairman or ranking minority member of the Committee
on the Budget of either House submits a written request to the Director
of the Congressional Budget Office for a long-term cost estimate by the
Congressional Budget Office (referred to in this Act as a ``long-term
CBO cost estimate'') of legislation proposed under this Act or an
amendment referred to in section 13(b)(3)(B) or section 13(c)(3)(B),
the Director shall prepare the estimate and have it published in the
Congressional Record as expeditiously as possible.
(b) Content.--A long-term CBO cost estimate shall include--
(1) an estimate of the cost of each provision (if
practicable) or group of provisions of the legislation or
amendment for the first fiscal year it would take effect and
for each of the 49 fiscal years thereafter; and
(2) a statement of any estimated future costs not reflected
by the estimate described in paragraph (1).
(c) Form.--To the extent that a long-term CBO cost estimate
presented in dollars is impracticable, the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office may instead present the estimate in terms
of percentages of gross domestic product, with rounding to the nearest
\1/10\ of 1 percent of gross domestic product.
(d) Limitations on Discretionary Spending.--A long-term CBO cost
estimate shall only consider the effects of provisions affecting
revenues and direct spending (as defined by the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985), and shall not assume that any
changes in outlays will result from limitations on, or reductions in,
annual appropriations.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S599-600)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.
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