Repeated debt-limit bill ties spending cuts to borrowing but never reaches a vote

Since 2013, lawmakers have repeatedly introduced a bill that would force a dollar-for-dollar cut in projected spending whenever the debt limit is raised. Originating with Sen. Rob Portman, the proposal attracted initial bipartisan co-sponsorship but has consistently lost support and never advanced beyond committee referral. Recent sponsors include Sen. John Barrasso, Sens.

Cynthia Lummis and David McCormick, Rep. Randy Feenstra, and Rep. Greg Steube, who frame the measure as a check on unchecked spending. The National Taxpayers Union backs the effort, while budget experts at the Cato Institute warn it targets the wrong problem, emphasizing the need for a sustainable debt path rather than isolated offsets. Enforcement would rely on a point-of-order objection that can be waived with 60 Senate votes or a House majority, a mechanism Congress has routinely set aside. Despite growing debt—now about $40 trillion with interest exceeding $1 trillion annually—the bill remains pending, illustrating persistent legislative gridlock on fiscal reform.