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DemocratAmendment · S.Amdt. 612· Senate(119-SAMDT-612)

S.Amdt. 612

Rep. Merkley
Age: 70 years
Oregon
Introduced
2/20/2025
Sponsored by
Jeff Merkley
Cosponsors
None
Changes bill
119-SCONRES-7 — An original concurrent resolution setting forth 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. Pending Consideration

What this amendment would do

This text covers an amendment submitted by Mr. Merkley, known as SA 612, which was proposed for a concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2025.

The purpose of this amendment is to add a new point of order in the Senate regarding reconciliation legislation. Plainly put, it aims to stop the Senate from considering certain budget-related bills, resolutions, amendments, or reports if they would cause a deficit, increase an existing deficit, or reduce a surplus.

This restriction applies to specific timeframes: the current fiscal year combined with the budget year and the following 4 fiscal years, as well as the current fiscal year combined with the budget year and the following 9 fiscal years.

If someone wants to push a reconciliation bill that breaks this rule, it would take a three-fifths affirmative vote of the sworn Senators to waive or suspend the rule, or to sustain an appeal against the Chair's ruling. The actual budget levels and deficits will be decided based on estimates from the Senate Committee on the Budget.