2 U.S.C. § 907c: Flexibility among defense…

Summary

Lets the President cut some defense program budgets more than the yearly order already required, but only for programs in major functional category 050 and not for military personnel accounts. If extra cuts lower actual spending (outlays), the President can use those savings to reduce cuts for other 050 programs as long as overall outlays do not increase and no program is raised above the amount already set by law. The President must use the same account outlay rates that were used in the OMB report. Any further cuts may not cause a domestic base closure or realignment covered by 10 U.S.C. 2687. The President cannot act unless a single report listing every account change is sent to Congress within 5 calendar days of the start of the next session, and a joint resolution approving or changing those actions becomes law. Within 5 calendar days after that report, each chamber’s majority leader must ask to introduce a joint resolution that approves the President’s report and uses a specific short title and text. In the Senate the resolution goes to Appropriations and is fast-tracked: if the committee does not act in 5 days it is discharged; a motion to take it up is in order on the 3rd through the 8th calendar day after it is placed on the calendar; debate is limited to 10 hours split evenly between leaders; amendments must relate to function 050, be mathematically consistent, and cannot lower required outlay reductions unless fully offset; each debatable amendment or appeal is limited to 30 minutes split between the mover and the majority leader; votes happen right after debate; appeals of chair rulings are decided without debate; Budget Act points of order apply to conference reports. Special procedures apply if a House version is received.

Title 2, §907c

The Congress, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Reductions beyond amount specified in Presidential order

Subject to subsections (b), (c), and (d), new budget authority and unobligated balances for any programs, projects, or activities within major functional category 050 (other than a military personnel account) may be further reduced beyond the amount specified in an order issued by the President under section 904 of this title for such fiscal year. To the extent such additional reductions are made and result in additional outlay reductions, the President may provide for lesser reductions in new budget authority and unobligated balances for other programs, projects, or activities within major functional category 050 for such fiscal year, but only to the extent that the resulting outlay increases do not exceed the additional outlay reductions, and no such program, project, or activity may be increased above the level actually made available by law in appropriation Acts (before taking sequestration into account). In making calculations under this subsection, the President shall use account outlay rates that are identical to those used in the report by the Director of OMB under section 904 of this title.

(b)Base closures prohibited

No actions taken by the President under subsection (a) for a fiscal year may result in a domestic base closure or realignment that would otherwise be subject to section 2687 of title 10.

(c)Report and joint resolution required

The President may not exercise the authority provided by this paragraph for a fiscal year unless—

(1)the President submits a single report to Congress specifying, for each account, the detailed changes proposed to be made for such fiscal year pursuant to this section;

(2)that report is submitted within 5 calendar days of the start of the next session of Congress; and

(3)a joint resolution affirming or modifying the changes proposed by the President pursuant to this paragraph 1 becomes law.

(d)Introduction of joint resolution

Within 5 calendar days of session after the President submits a report to Congress under subsection (c)(1) for a fiscal year, the majority leader of each House of Congress shall (by request) introduce a joint resolution which contains provisions affirming the changes proposed by the President pursuant to this paragraph.1

(e)Form and title of joint resolution

(1)The matter after the resolving clause in any joint resolution introduced pursuant to subsection (d) shall be as follows: “That the report of the President as submitted on [Insert Date] under section 258B is hereby approved.”

(2)The title of the joint resolution shall be “Joint resolution approving the report of the President submitted under section 258B of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.”

(3)Such joint resolution shall not contain any preamble.

(f)Calendaring and consideration of joint resolution in Senate

(1)A joint resolution introduced in the Senate under subsection (d) shall be referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and if not reported within 5 calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) from the date of introduction shall be considered as having been discharged therefrom and shall be placed on the appropriate calendar pending disposition of such joint resolution in accordance with this subsection. In the Senate, no amendment proposed in the Committee on Appropriations shall be in order other than an amendment (in the nature of a substitute) that is germane or relevant to the provisions of the joint resolution or to the order issued under section 904 of this title. For purposes of this paragraph, an amendment shall be considered to be relevant if it relates to function 050 (national defense).

(2)On or after the third calendar day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) beginning after a joint resolution is placed on the Senate calendar, notwithstanding any rule or precedent of the Senate, including Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, it is in order (even though a previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) for any Member of the Senate to move to proceed to the consideration of the joint resolution. The motion is not in order after the eighth calendar day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) beginning after such joint resolution is placed on the appropriate calendar. The motion is not debatable. The joint resolution is privileged in the Senate. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order. If a motion to proceed to the consideration of the joint resolution is agreed to, the Senate shall immediately proceed to consideration of the joint resolution without intervening motion, order, or other business, and the joint resolution shall remain the unfinished business of the Senate until disposed of.

(g)Debate of joint resolution; motions

(1)In the Senate, debate on a joint resolution introduced under subsection (d), amendments thereto, and all debatable motions and appeals in connection therewith shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, which shall be divided equally between the majority leader and the minority leader (or their designees).

(2)A motion to postpone, or a motion to proceed to the consideration of other business is not in order. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the joint resolution is agreed to or disagreed to is not in order. In the Senate, a motion to recommit the joint resolution is not in order.

(h)Amendment of joint resolution

(1)No amendment that is not germane or relevant to the provisions of the joint resolution or to the order issued under section 904 of this title shall be in order in the Senate. For purposes of this paragraph, an amendment shall be considered to be relevant if it relates to function 050 (national defense). In the Senate, an amendment, any amendment to an amendment, or any debatable motion or appeal is debatable for not to exceed 30 minutes to be equally divided between, and controlled by, the mover and the majority leader (or their designees), except that in the event that the majority leader favors the amendment, motion, or appeal, the minority leader (or the minority leader’s designee) shall control the time in opposition to the amendment, motion, or appeal.

(2)In the Senate, an amendment that is otherwise in order shall be in order notwithstanding the fact that it amends the joint resolution in more than one place or amends language previously amended, so long as the amendment makes or maintains mathematical consistency. It shall not be in order in the Senate to vote on the question of agreeing to such a joint resolution or any amendment thereto unless the figures then contained in such joint resolution or amendment are mathematically consistent.

(3)It shall not be in order in the Senate to consider any amendment to any joint resolution introduced under subsection (d) or any conference report thereon if such amendment or conference report would have the effect of decreasing any specific budget outlay reductions below the level of such outlay reductions provided in such joint resolution unless such amendment or conference report makes a reduction in other specific budget outlays at least equivalent to any increase in outlays provided by such amendment or conference report.

(4)For purposes of the application of paragraph (3), the level of outlays and specific budget outlay reductions provided in an amendment shall be determined on the basis of estimates made by the Committee on the Budget of the Senate.

(i)Vote on final passage of joint resolution

Immediately following the conclusion of the debate on a joint resolution introduced under subsection (d), a single quorum call at the conclusion of the debate if requested in accordance with the rules of the Senate, and the disposition of any pending amendments under subsection (h), the vote on final passage of the joint resolution shall occur.

(j)Appeal from decision of Chair

Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the application of the rules of the Senate to the procedure relating to a joint resolution described in subsection (d) shall be decided without debate.

(k)Conference reports

In the Senate, points of order under titles III and IV of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 [2 U.S.C. 631 et seq., 651 et seq.] (including points of order under section 302(c), 303(a), 306, and 401(b)(1) [2 U.S.C. 633(c), 634(a), 637, 651(b)(1)]) are applicable to a conference report on the joint resolution or any amendments in disagreement thereto.

(l)Resolution from other House

If, before the passage by the Senate of a joint resolution of the Senate introduced under subsection (d), the Senate receives from the House of Representatives a joint resolution introduced under subsection (d), then the following procedures shall apply:

(1)The joint resolution of the House of Representatives shall not be referred to a committee.

(2)With respect to a joint resolution introduced under subsection (d) in the Senate—

(A)the procedure in the Senate shall be the same as if no joint resolution had been received from the House; but

(B)(i)the vote on final passage shall be on the joint resolution of the House if it is identical to the joint resolution then pending for passage in the Senate; or

(ii)if the joint resolution from the House is not identical to the joint resolution then pending for passage in the Senate and the Senate then passes the Senate joint resolution, the Senate shall be considered to have passed the House joint resolution as amended by the text of the Senate joint resolution.

(3)Upon disposition of the joint resolution received from the House, it shall no longer be in order to consider the joint resolution originated in the Senate.

(m)Senate action on House resolution

If the Senate receives from the House of Representatives a joint resolution introduced under subsection (d) after the Senate has disposed of a Senate originated joint resolution which is identical to the House passed joint resolution, the action of the Senate with regard to the disposition of the Senate originated joint resolution shall be deemed to be the action of the Senate with regard to the House originated joint resolution. If it is not identical to the House passed joint resolution, then the Senate shall be considered to have passed the joint resolution of the House as amended by the text of the Senate joint resolution.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 258B, referred to in subsec. (e)(1), (2), means section 258B of Pub. L. 99–177, which is classified to this section. The Congressional Budget Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (k), is titles I to IX of Pub. L. 93–344, July 12, 1974, 88 Stat. 297. Titles III and IV of the Act are classified generally to subchapters I (§ 631 et seq.) and II (§ 651 et seq.) of chapter 17A of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 621 of this title and Tables.

§907c Flexibility Among Defense Programs, Projects, and Activities