CONGRESS FOR VOTERS

DemocratSecond Degree Amendment · S.Amdt. 1758· Senate(119-SAMDT-1758)

To create a point of order against legislation that would create more debt over a 30-year period than has accumulated over the past 249 years.

Rep. Merkley
Age: 70 years
Oregon
Introduced
4/4/2025
Last activity
4/4/2025 — Amendment SA 1758 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 46 - 53. Record Vote Number: 171.
Sponsored by
Jeff Merkley
Cosponsors
Democrat - 4Republican - 0
Changes amendment
119-SAMDT-1717
On the bill
119-HCONRES-14 — Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034.
  1. Introduced
  2. Failed

What this amendment would do

As folks keeping an eye out for the everyday people, we need to hold our officials accountable for how they handle our nation's money. This amendment was proposed by Mr. Merkley, along with Senators Van Hollen, Peters, Blumenthal, and Warnock, as part of the budget process for fiscal year 2025.

The purpose of this amendment is to create a new rule in the Senate—officially called a point of order—that targets extreme federal debt. Specifically, it aims to stop the Senate from considering any bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment, or conference report that would increase the Federal debt held by the public over a 30-year period by more than the total gross debt that has accumulated since the nation was founded on July 4, 1776.

Here is what the amendment specifically sets up:

  • It establishes a rule against adding more to our debt in one bill than has accumulated since the nation's founding.
  • It allows this rule to be waived or suspended in the Senate only if a three-fifths majority of the sworn members vote affirmatively.
  • It requires a three-fifths affirmative vote of the sworn members of the Senate to sustain an appeal of the Chair's ruling on this point of order.

What Congress actually voted on

One recorded vote has been taken on this amendment.

  • The Senate: a vote on a proposed change to the billAmendment Rejected 46–53

    A vote on one change, not on the bill. A bill can collect dozens of these, and losing one does not stop it.

    04/04/2025 · Roll call 171 · recorded as “On the Amendment S.Amdt. 1758 to S.Amdt. 1717 to H.Con.Res. 14 (No short title on file)”