Top Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 09/14/2007 - Signed by President.

Bill Text
A bill to provide greater transparency in the legislative process. 9/14/2007--Public Law.    (There are 3 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on July 31, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.)Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 - Title I: Closing the Revolving Door - (Sec. 101) Amends the federal criminal code to extend from one to two years the ban on lobbying contacts by former: (1) very senior executive personnel with any Member, officer, or employee of the entity in which such person served before his or her tenure terminated; and (2) Senators with any Member, officer or employee of either chamber, or employee of any other legislative office.Continues the one-year ban on lobbying contacts by former: (1) Members of the House of Representatives with any Member, officer, or employee of either chamber, or employee of any other legislative office; (2) [...]

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Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9-11)

Bill Text
A bill to reinstate the pay-as-you-go requirement and reduce budget deficits by strengthening budget enforcement and fiscal responsibility. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Restoring Fiscal Discipline Act of 2007 - Makes it out of order in the Senate to consider any direct spending or revenue legislation that would increase or cause an on-budget deficit during certain specified time periods. Makes it out of order in the Senate to consider, under the expedited procedures applicable to reconciliation in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA), any bill, resolution, amendment, amendment between chambers, motion, or conference report that increases the deficit or reduces the surplus in the first fiscal year or the ensuing five or 10 fiscal years covered by the most recently adopted concurrent resolution on the budget. Makes it out of order in the Senate to consider, pursuant to CBA, any resolution, concurrent resolution, amendment, amendment between the chambers, motion,[...]

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Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - 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.

Bill Text
To amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to protect Social Security beneficiaries against any reduction in benefits.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

Social Security Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to make it out of order in the House of Representatives or the Senate to consider any bill or joint resolution (or related amendment or conference report) that: (1) reduces or has the effect of reducing any current benefits under the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance (OASDI) programs under title II of the Social Security Act; or (2) provides for or has the effect of providing for cost-of-living increases of OASDI benefits that are less than what would be provided as of the day of the measure's consideration.

Latest Action: 01/09/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Rules.

Bill Text
Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to establish a minority bill of rights to require the House to be administered in a bipartisan manner and to require regular order in the legislative process. 1/9/2007--Introduced. Amends the Rules of the House of Representatives to add Rule XXIX (Bipartisan Administration of the House) to require: (1) the elected leadership of the majority and minority parties to engage in regular consultations with each other to discuss House scheduling, administration, and operations; and (2) the chair and ranking minority member of each committee and their staffs to have regular meetings with each other. Amends Rule X (Organization of Committees) to require that allocation of amounts provided to a committee under a primary or supplemental expense resolution or during an interim funding period be paid at the ranking minority member's direction. Adds Rule XXX (Regular Order for Legislation) to require legislation to come to [...]

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Latest Action: 01/12/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E88)

Bill Text
Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to ensure that Members have a reasonable amount of time to read legislation that will be voted upon. 1/12/2007--Introduced. Amends the Rules of the House of Representatives to establish a new Rule XXIX to prohibit any vote by the House on any bill, joint resolution, conference report, or amendment unless: (1) the text of the measure has been available to all Members and their staffs in both printed and electronic format for at least 10 days; and (2) any amendment that makes substantive changes has been made available for at least 72 hours. Makes exceptions for: (1) legislation containing classified information if Members have at least seven days to study the contents; and (2) congressional declarations of war or authorization of military force to respond to attacks on the United States. Deems any Member who votes for a measure in violation of such Rule to have violated House ethics rules and to be subject to censure.[...]

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Latest Action: 02/02/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Bill Text
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts.

Requires a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber to increase the public debt limit.

Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually.

Prohibits any bill to increase revenue from becoming law unless approved by a majority of each chamber by rollcall vote.

Authorizes waivers of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect or under other specified circumstances involving military conflict.

Latest Action: 02/02/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Bill Text
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts.

Requires a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber to increase the public debt limit.

Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually.

Prohibits any bill to increase revenue from becoming law unless approved by a majority of each chamber by rollcall vote.

Authorizes waivers of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect or under other specified circumstances involving military conflict.

Latest Action: 01/05/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Bill Text
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution to provide for a balanced budget for the United States Government and for greater accountability in the enactment of tax legislation. 1/5/2007--Introduced. Constitutional Amendment - Requires Congress and the President, before each fiscal year, to agree on an estimate of total receipts for that fiscal year by enactment into law of a joint resolution devoted solely to that subject. Prohibits outlays for such fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding such estimated receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over estimated receipts. Provides that whenever actual outlays exceed actual receipts for any fiscal year, Congress shall, in the ensuing fiscal year, provide by law for the repayment of such excess. Requires a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber to increase [...]

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Latest Action: 03/01/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Bill Text
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States. 1/31/2007--Introduced. Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Requires a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber to increase the public debt limit. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Prohibits any bill to increase revenue from becoming law unless approved by a majority of each chamber by rollcall vote. Authorizes waivers of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect or under other specified circumstances involving military conflict. Requires Congress, by appropriate legislation, to provide that outlays for natural disasters do not count as outlays [...]

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Latest Action: 06/25/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Bill Text
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

6/12/2007--Introduced.

Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts.

Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually.

Authorizes waivers of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect or under other specified circumstances involving military conflict.

Requires the appropriate congressional committees to report implementing legislation to achieve a balanced budget without reducing the disbursements of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund to achieve that goal.

Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 06/09/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.

Bill Text
To make bills implementing trade agreements subject to a point of order unless certain conditions are met, and for other purposes. 5/22/2008--Introduced. Trade Agreement Benchmarks and Accountability Act - Subjects bills implementing trade agreements to a point of order in both the Senate and the House of Representatives unless certain conditions are met. Withdraws congressional approval of a bill implementing a trade agreement if a report by the International Trade Commission (ITC) indicates that certain benchmarks and predictions made with respect to an agreement are not being met unless a joint resolution waiving such benchmarks and predictions is enacted by Congress. Describes the benchmarks as analyses of the following effects of the agreement: (1) resulting job creation and job losses; (2) resulting improvement in wages for U.S. workers; (3) implementation and enforcement of the labor and environmental standards by each country that is a party to the agreement;[...]

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Latest Action: 06/03/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Bill Text
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to control spending.

4/30/2008--Introduced.

Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for any fiscal year (except for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding an amount that would cause outlays to have increased by a rate that exceeds growth in the U.S. economy over the period since 2007, unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific increase of outlays above this amount.

Directs the President, before each fiscal year, to transmit to Congress a proposed budget for such fiscal year and all ensuing fiscal years covered by it, in which total outlays do not exceed the outlays from the previous year after taking into account an increase to reflect such average growth.

Authorizes a waiver of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect.

Latest Action: 04/24/2008 - Considered as privileged matter. (consideration: CR H2737)

Bill Text
Providing additional amounts for the expenses of the select committee established under House Resolution 611.

4/24/2008--Passed House without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Provides additional funds for expenses of the House Select Committee established under H.Res. 611 to investigate the circumstances on August 2, 2007, surrounding the record vote requested on the motion to recommit H.R. 3161, including the Chair's ruling over the Parliamentarian's objections.

Latest Action: 05/12/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement.

Bill Text
To provide for the periodic review of the efficiency and public need for Federal agencies, to establish a Commission for the purpose of reviewing the efficiency and public need of such agencies, and to provide for the abolishment of agencies for which a public need does not exist. 4/15/2008--Introduced. Federal Sunset Act of 2008 - Establishes the Federal Agency Sunset Commission to: (1) submit to Congress a schedule for review by the Commission, at least once every 12 years, of the abolishment or reorganization of each agency; (2) review and evaluate the efficiency and public need for each agency using specified criteria; (3) recommend whether each agency should be abolished or reorganized; and (4) report to Congress on all legislation introduced that would establish a new agency or a new program to be carried out by an existing agency. Requires the abolishment of any agency within one year of the Commission's review, unless the agency is reauthorized by Congress. Authorizes [...]

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Latest Action: 04/15/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide taxpayers a flat tax alternative to the current income tax system. 4/15/2008--Introduced. Optional One Page Flat Tax Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize an individual or a person engaged in business activity to make an irrevocable election to be subject to a flat tax (in lieu of the existing tax provisions) of 19% for the first two years after an election is made, and 17% thereafter. Calculates taxable income for individual taxpayers by subtracting a basic standard deduction and an additional standard deduction for each dependent from the total of wages, retirement distributions, and unemployment compensation. Defines "business taxable income" to mean gross active income reduced by the cost of certain business inputs. Imposes an employer tax on the value of excludable compensation provided to employees not engaged in business activity of 19% for the first two years after an election [...]

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Latest Action: 03/12/2008 - Considered as privileged matter. (consideration: CR H1543-1544; text of measure as introduced: CR H1544)

Bill Text
Raising a question of the privileges of the House. 3/12/2008--Introduced. Declares that the House: (1) denounces any violations of House rules by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Members of the Democratic leadership in the strongest terms possible; (2) rejects the practices of holding votes open beyond a reasonable period of time for the sole purpose of circumventing the will of the House; and (3) directs the Speaker to take such steps as necessary to prevent any further abuse. Vacates the votes on ordering the previous question and adoption of House Resolution 1031 (adopting H.Res. 895). Directs the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to investigate and report to the House on: (1) violations of House rules by the Speaker and such Members; and (2) its findings and recommendations to the House, including a recommendation regarding the appropriate actions for the Speaker's activities. Directs the Select Committee to Investigate the Voting Irregularities [...]

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Latest Action: 06/05/2008 - Mr. Spratt brought up conference report H. Rept. 110-659 for consideration under the provisions of H. Res. 1214.

Bill Text
An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2009 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2008 and 2010 through 2013. 5/20/2008--Conference report filed in House.    (There are 4 other summaries) Sets forth the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2009, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY2008 and FY2010-FY2013. Title I: Recommended Levels and Amounts - (Sec. 101) Lists recommended budgetary levels and amounts, for FY2008-FY2013, with respect to: (1) federal revenues; (2) new budget authority; (3) budget outlays; (4) deficits (on-budget); (5) debt subject to limit; and (6) debt held by the public. (Sec. 102) Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority, outlays, and administrative expenses for Social Security, U.S. Postal Service discretionary administrative expenses, and specified major functional [...]

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Latest Action: 03/06/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Rules.

Bill Text
Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to strike rule XXVIII, popularly known as the "Gephardt rule", and to require recorded votes on measures that increase the statutory limit on the public debt.

3/6/2008--Introduced.

Amends Rule XXVIII (Statutory Limit on Public Debt) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to make it out of order to enact legislation that increases the statutory limit on the public debt unless the vote upon final passage of such measure is a recorded vote.

(Repeals the "Gephardt Rule" providing for mandatory adjustment of the statutory limit on the public debt to conform to a budget resolution.)

Latest Action: 01/14/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Bill Text
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to the process by which the House of Representatives selects the President in the event no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes.

12/19/2007--Introduced.

Constitutional Amendment - States that whenever the right to choose the President devolves upon the House of Representatives, the Members of the House shall cast votes on an individual basis, and the candidate receiving votes cast by a majority of the Members of the House shall be the President.

Latest Action: 03/11/2008 - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 1031, H. Res. 895 is considered passed House as amended. (consideration: CR H1534-1537; text as passed: CR H1534-1536)

Bill Text
Establishing within the House of Representatives an Office of Congressional Ethics, and for other purposes. 3/11/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) (Sec. 1) Establishes an independent Office of Congressional Ethics in the House of Representatives. Establishes a board to govern the Office, consisting of six individuals, three of them nominated by the Speaker of the House, subject to the Minority Leader's concurrence, and three by the Minority Leader, subject to the Speaker's concurrence. Requires the Speaker and the Minority Leader each to nominate an alternate board member, subject to their respective concurrence. Sets forth: (1) procedures for filling vacancies on the board; and (2) eligibility qualifications of board members. Requires the Speaker to designate one member of the board as chairman, and the Minority Leader to designate one as cochairman. Declares that selection and appointment of [...]

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