Requires Congress to offset new spending or tax cuts by double the amount, aiming to reduce federal debt.
This bill would make it much harder for Congress to add to the national debt. For every dollar of new spending or tax cuts, Congress would need to find two dollars in savings or new revenue. It would also tighten rules for declaring emergencies, making it tougher to bypass these budget requirements.
Today, the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 generally requires new direct spending or tax cuts to be offset dollar-for-dollar by savings elsewhere. Emergency designations can be made with a three-fifths vote in Congress. After this bill, new spending or tax cuts would need to be offset by double their cost (e.g., a $100 billion cost would need $200 billion in savings). Emergency designations would require a two-thirds vote and must meet strict criteria like being sudden, urgent, and temporary, expiring after 24 months.
HR 9879 · 119th Congress · July 22, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 4/10
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