W. Steube (R-FL)
Dollar-for-Dollar Deficit Reduction Act
A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Dollar-for-Dollar Deficit Reduction Act" requires that any increase or suspension of the debt limit be accompanied by spending cuts. If the debt limit is near breach, the Secretary of the Treasury must issue a warning to specific congressional committees regarding when extraordinary measures may be needed. Any Presidential request to increase the debt limit must include proposed legislation to reduce spending over 10 years by an amount equal to or greater than the increase. The bill establishes points of order in both the House and Senate to prevent voting on debt limit changes without these corresponding net spending reductions. These reductions must be calculated against a specific budget baseline and cannot rely on net interest savings. Finally, the bill provides for a three-fifths supermajority waiver in the Senate to bypass these requirements.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +7
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill requires mandatory spending cuts to accompany any debt limit increases or suspensions.
- Scored +6
Does this make the government pay for what it commits to?
The bill ties debt increases directly to spending cuts to enforce stricter fiscal control.
- Scored +5
Does this reduce what the federal government owes?
The bill mandates spending reductions equal to any increase in the debt limit, which aims to lower the national debt over time.
The opposite· 3 of 13
- Scored -5
Does this put more money into Medicare, the health coverage for people over 65?
Mandatory spending cuts could potentially impact Medicare funding levels.
- Scored -5
Does this put more money into Medicaid, the health coverage for people on low incomes?
Mandatory spending cuts could potentially impact Medicaid funding levels.
- Scored -5
Does this reduce what is spent on the military?
Mandatory spending cuts may impact defense budget allocations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Debt Limit Warnings: The Secretary of the Treasury must issue a warning to the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Ways and Means when a "near breach" is determined, which is a point where the government will reach the debt limit within 60 days despite extraordinary measures (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Increased Spending Reductions for Debt Limit Increases: Any formal Presidential request to increase the debt limit must include proposed legislation to reduce spending over the current and following 10 years by an amount equal to or greater than the requested increase (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Increased Spending Reductions for Debt Limit Suspensions: Any measure to suspend the debt limit must contain net spending reductions over the current and next 10 fiscal years that are equal to or greater than the projected debt amount during the suspension period (Section 3(a)(1)).
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Transparency through Cost Estimates: The Senate and House are prohibited from voting on debt limit measures until the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate has been publicly available on their website for at least 24 hours (Section 3(a)(2)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Mandatory Spending Cuts: Any bill or resolution to increase or suspend the debt limit must include net spending reductions of an equal or greater amount over a 10-year period (Section 3(a)(1) and Section 3(a)(1)).
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Restrictions on Using Interest Savings: Net interest savings may not be counted toward the spending reductions required when the President requests a debt limit increase or when Congress considers a debt limit suspension (Section 2(b)(1) and Section 3(a)(1)).
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Limitations on Timing Shifts: Provisions that shift revenues or outlays from within the 10-year window to outside that window will not count toward the required budget savings target (Section 3(a)(2)(C)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Mandatory spending reductions could reduce support for social programs that benefit low-income households. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Spending cuts may negatively impact programs that provide essential services to people with disabilities. Would retired people be better off under this? — Mandatory cuts could target retirement-related social security and healthcare benefits. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Spending cuts may impact social safety net programs frequently used by seniors. Would students be better off under this? — The bill may lead to cuts in educational funding and student support programs. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — Mandatory spending cuts could impact veteran-specific benefits and healthcare. Would union members be better off under this? — Spending reductions may impact public sector jobs or social welfare programs.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill requires mandatory spending cuts to accompany any debt limit increases or suspensions. Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — The bill ties debt increases directly to spending cuts to enforce stricter fiscal control. Does this reduce what the federal government owes? — The bill mandates spending reductions equal to any increase in the debt limit, which aims to lower the national debt over time. Is this likely to slow the rise in prices? — Reduced government spending could have a slight downward pressure on inflation, though the direct impact is not explicitly stated.
- Healthcare
- Does this put more money into Medicaid, the health coverage for people on low incomes? — Mandatory spending cuts could potentially impact Medicaid funding levels. Does this put more money into Medicare, the health coverage for people over 65? — Mandatory spending cuts could potentially impact Medicare funding levels.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this reduce what is spent on the military? — Mandatory spending cuts may impact defense budget allocations. Does this send more money or help to other countries? — Required spending reductions may result in cuts to foreign aid programs.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill increases transparency by requiring public availability of CBO cost estimates before a vote.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this strengthen Social Security? — The requirement for net spending reductions could negatively impact Social Security funding and benefits.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into public schools? — Broad spending reductions could potentially decrease funding for public schools.
- 11/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 8/10/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Tim BurchettRepublican · Tennessee