Budget Resolution Would Create Commission to Reduce Improper Payments

115TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION

H. CON. RES. 128

[Report No. 115-816]

Establishing the congressional budget for the United States
Government for fiscal year 2019 and setting forth the appropriate
budgetary levels for fiscal years 2020 through 2028.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. WOMACK from the Committee on the Budget, reported the following
concurrent resolution; which was committed to the Committee of the
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2019 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2020 through 2028.

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

SECTION 1. CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019.

(a) DECLARATION. — The Congress determines and declares that prior concurrent resolutions on the budget are replaced as of fiscal year 2019 and that this concurrent resolution establishes the budget for fiscal year 2019 and sets forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2020 through 2028.

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TITLE II — RECONCILIATION AND RELATED MATTERS

SEC. 201. RECONCILIATION IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

(a) SUBMISSIONS PROVIDING FOR RECONCILIATION. — Not later than September 14, 2018, the committees named in subsection (b) shall submit recommendations on changes in laws within their jurisdictions to the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives that would achieve the specified reduction in the deficit for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

(b) INSTRUCTIONS. —

(1) COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. — The Committee on Agriculture shall submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the deficit by $1,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

(2) COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES. — The Committee on Armed Services shall submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the deficit by $1,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

(3) COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE. — The Committee on Education and the Workforce shall submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the deficit by $20,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

(4) COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE. — The Committee on Energy and Commerce shall submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the deficit by $20,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

(5) COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES. — The Committee on Financial Services shall submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the deficit by $24,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

(6) COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY. — The Committee on Homeland Security shall submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the deficit by $3,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

(7) COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY. — The Committee on the Judiciary shall submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the deficit by $45,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

(8) COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES. — The Committee on Natural Resources shall submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the deficit by $5,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

(9) COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM. — The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform shall submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the deficit by $32,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

(10) COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS. — The Committee on Veterans' Affairs shall submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the deficit by $1,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

(11) COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS. — The Committee on Ways and Means shall submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction sufficient to reduce the deficit by $150,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

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TITLE IV — RESERVE FUNDS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEC. 401. DEFICIT NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND FOR INVESTMENTS IN NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

In the House of Representatives, the chair of the Committee on the Budget may adjust the allocations, aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this concurrent resolution for any bill or joint resolution, or amendment thereto or conference report thereon, that invests in national infrastructure if such measure would not increase the deficit for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

SEC. 402. DEFICIT NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986.

In the House of Representatives, if the Committee on Ways and Means reports a bill or joint resolution that amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the chair of the Committee on the Budget may adjust the allocations, aggregates, and other appropriate budgetary levels in this concurrent resolution for the budgetary effects of any such bill or joint resolution, or amendment thereto or conference report thereon, if such measure would not increase the deficit for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

SEC. 403. RESERVE FUND FOR EXTENDING PRO-GROWTH TAX POLICIES.

In the House of Representatives, if the Committee on Ways and Means reports a bill or joint resolution that extends the pro-growth tax policies of Public Law 115–97, the chair of the Committee on the Budget may adjust the allocations, aggregates, and other appropriate budgetary levels in this concurrent resolution for the budgetary effects of any such bill or joint resolution, or amendment thereto or conference report thereon.

SEC. 404. RESERVE FUND FOR THE REPEAL OR REPLACEMENT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S HEALTH CARE LAWS.

In the House of Representatives, the chair of the Committee on the Budget may revise the allocations, aggregates, and other appropriate budgetary levels in this concurrent resolution for the budgetary effects of any bill or joint resolution, or amendment thereto or conference report thereon, that repeals or replaces any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or title I or subtitle B of title II of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 by the amount of budget authority and outlays flowing therefrom provided by such measure for such purpose.

SEC. 405. DEFICIT NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND FOR THE CLARIFICATION OF PRESUMPTIONS OF SERVICE CONNECTION FOR VETERANS WHO SERVED OFFSHORE OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AND KOREA.

In the House of Representatives, if the Committee on Veterans' Affairs reports a bill or joint resolution that clarifies the presumptions of service connection for veterans who served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam or Korea, the chair of the Committee on the Budget may adjust the allocations, aggregates, and other appropriate budgetary levels in this concurrent resolution for the budgetary effects of any such bill or joint resolution, or amendment thereto or conference report thereon, if such measure would not increase the deficit for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

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SEC. 502. POLICY STATEMENT ON IMPROPER PAYMENTS.

(a) FINDINGS. — The House finds the following:

(1) The Government Accountability Office defines improper payments as any reported payment that should not have been made or was made in an incorrect amount.

(2) Improper payments totaled roughly $1.3 trillion between fiscal years 2003 and 2017.

(3) Improper payments increased from $107 billion in 2012 to $141 billion in 2017.

(4) The Earned Income Tax Credit, Medicare, and Medicaid account for 74 percent of total improper payments.

(5) Eight agencies did not report payment estimates for 18 programs that the Comptroller General deems susceptible to significant improper payments.

(b) POLICY ON IMPROPER PAYMENTS. — It is the policy of this concurrent resolution that an independent commission should be established with the goal of finding tangible solutions to reduce total improper payments by 50 percent within the next 5 years. The commission should also develop a more stringent system of agency oversight to achieve this goal.

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