# 119-s-2405: Debt Ceiling Reform Act

119-s-2405, Debt Ceiling Reform Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2405
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-2405
- Congress: 119
- Title: Debt Ceiling Reform Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-07-23
- Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**Creates a fast-track congressional disapproval process for suspending the federal debt limit.** The bill would set a formal Treasury certification system to pause the debt ceiling and give Congress a short, structured window to reject that suspension.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-07-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-07-23T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New debt suspension and increase process: benefit, high. This bill would create a formal rule for Treasury to certify when more borrowing is needed after a debt-limit suspension. The Secretary would generally have to send that certification not earlier than 60 days and not later than 46 days before the suspension ends. The certificate must name an end da…
- New debt metrics as percent of GDP: benefit, low. This bill would require Treasury reports to include debt held by the public as a percent of GDP. It would also require reporting debt held by the public net of financial assets as a percent of GDP. These two GDP-based numbers would be added to Treasury's regular information.
- Limits on borrowing and cash reserves: cost, high. This bill would narrow which new borrowings can count toward any temporary increase in the debt limit. Only obligations needed to pay legal commitments due before the day after the certification date could be counted. The Treasury would be barred from issuing obligations during the certified period…
- Fast congressional votes on debt suspensions: mixed, high. This bill would require Congress to use a short, specific joint resolution to disapprove a Treasury certification. The House would have five days for committee action or be discharged, and House debate would be limited to two hours. The Senate would get immediate calendar placement and up to ten ho…

## Related bills

- 119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-3396: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act
- 119-s-2982: Federal Employees Civil Relief Act

## Sources
- [119-s-2405 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2405)

## Related
- [119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2763)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-3396: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3396)
- [119-s-2982: Federal Employees Civil Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2982)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2405 (as of 2025-12-21).