Protecting American Benefits Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3157 To authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to issue obligations to make Medicare and Social Security payments, veterans disability benefits, and military benefits, despite the debt limit being reached. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 9, 2023 Mr. NUNN of Iowa (for himself and Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to issue obliga- tions to make Medicare and Social Security payments, veterans disability benefits, and military benefits, despite the debt limit being reached. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting American 4 Benefits Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:57 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3157.IH H3157 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3157 IH SEC. 2. SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE PROGRAMS, VET- 1 ERANS DISABILITY BENEFITS, MILITARY BEN- 2 EFITS, AND THE DEBT LIMIT. 3 Section 3101 of title 31, United States Code, is 4 amended— 5 (1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘The face’’ 6 and inserting ‘‘Subject to subsection (d), the face’’; 7 and 8 (2) by adding at the end the following: 9 ‘‘(d)(1) If the face value of the amount of obligations 10 described in subsection (b) reaches the limit on such obli- 11 gations under subsection (b), the Secretary may issue obli- 12 gations under this chapter to the extent necessary to make 13 timely payment of the full amount of— 14 ‘‘(A) benefits authorized under the Medicare 15 program established under title XVIII of the Social 16 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) or the old-age, 17 survivors, and disability insurance benefits program 18 established under title II of the Social Security Act 19 (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.), 20 ‘‘(B) benefits administered by the Secretary of 21 Veterans Affairs to which an individual is entitled on 22 the basis of a service-connected death or disability, 23 and 24 ‘‘(C) pay for members of the armed forces 25 under title 37, United States Code. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:57 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3157.IH H3157 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3157 IH ‘‘(2) With respect to each instance in which the Sec- 1 retary of the Treasury begins issuing obligations in ac- 2 cordance with paragraph (1), the face value of such obliga- 3 tions issued during such instance shall not be taken into 4 account in determining the face value of obligations for 5 purposes of subsection (b) during the period— 6 ‘‘(A) beginning on the date on which the Sec- 7 retary began issuing obligations in accordance with 8 paragraph (1) during such instance; and 9 ‘‘(B) ending on the day after the date of enact- 10 ment of the first law enacted after the date de- 11 scribed in subparagraph (A) increasing the limit 12 under subsection (b).’’. 13 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:57 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3157.IH H3157 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS