Announcements 114th Congress
Dear Colleague:
As you begin to contemplate possible amendments to the House Budget Resolution, I want to remind all Members of a continuing requirement that was adopted as part of the opening day Rules Package. As in past years, the Rules Committee intends to give priority to amendments offered as complete substitutes, but the new requirement is applicable to all amendments.
Section 3(h) of H. Res. 5 (114th Congress) prohibits the consideration of a concurrent resolution on the budget, or any proposed amendment to or conference report thereon, unless it includes specified information and estimates related to direct spending, including means-tested direct spending and nonmeans-tested direct spending. Specifically, the subsection requires the inclusion of: (1) the average rate of growth for each category in the total amount of outlays during the 10-year period preceding the budget year; (2) estimates for each such category under current law for the period covered by the concurrent resolution; and (3) information on proposed reforms in such categories.
This section also requires the chair of the Committee on the Budget to publish a description in the Congressional Record of each category. The description of each category was submitted for printing by Chairman Price on March 15, 2016 and is available on the Rules Committee website. Title V of H. Con. Res. ___, posted by Chairman Price on March 15, 2016, provides an example of how to comply with this requirement.
All Members are reminded to work with the Congressional Budget Office and the Committee on the Budget to ensure that accurate estimates for each category, as well as any information on proposed reforms, are included in their amendment. If you have any questions, please contact Stephen Cote of the Committee staff or myself at 225-9191.
Sincerely,
PETE SESSIONS
Dear Colleague:
The Committee on Rules is likely to meet the week of March 21st to grant a rule that may provide a structured amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 2745, the Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act of 2015.
Any Member wishing to offer an amendment must submit a searchable electronic copy of the amendment, which should be provided by the Office of Legislative Counsel, via the Rules Committee’s website. Members must also submit 30 hard copies of the amendment, one copy of a brief explanation of the amendment, and an amendment login form to the Rules Committee in room H-312 of the Capitol by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 21, 2016. Both electronic and hard copies must be received by the date and time specified. Members should draft their amendments to the text of the bill, as reported by the Committee on the Judiciary, which is available on the Rules Committee website.
Members should use the Office of Legislative Counsel to ensure that their amendments are drafted in the most appropriate format. Members should also check with the Congressional Budget Office for a preliminary assessment of their amendments’ budgetary effects. Finally, members should check with the Office of the Parliamentarian and the Committee on the Budget to be certain their amendments comply with the rules of the House and the Congressional Budget Act. If you have any questions, please contact myself or Karas Gross of the Committee staff at 225-9191.
Sincerely,
PETE SESSIONS
The Committee on Rules will meet on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 3:00 PM in H-313 The Capitol on the following measure:
- H. Res. 639—Authorizing the Speaker to appear as amicus curiae on behalf of the House of Representatives in the matter of United States, et al. v. Texas, et al., No. 15–674. [ OJ Hearing, Markup, and Rule ]
**PLEASE NOTE: Witnesses for the OJ hearing will be by invitation only.