H.R. 235: Cut Unsustainable and Top-Heavy Spending Act of 2011

112th Congress · introduced 2011-01-07 · Economics and Public Finance · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-01-07 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Brady, Kevin [R-TX-8] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Cut Unsustainable and Top-Heavy Spending Act of 2011

Plain summary

Cut Unsustainable and Top-Heavy Spending Act of 2011 or CUTS Act - Rescinds 15% of the budget authority provided for any discretionary account in appropriations to the legislative branch for FY2011, except for the Capitol Police. Prohibits the total amount of funds appropriated to the Executive Office of the President for FY2012-FY2013 from exceeding the total amount for FY2011 after applying the rescission. Eliminates automatic cost-of-living adjustments for Members of Congress during FY2012-FY2014. Freezes the total costs for salaries of federal employees (including Department of Defense [DOD] civilian employees, but not members of the Armed Forces) for FY2011-FY2013 at the FY2010 level. Directs each federal agency head to reduce the number of full time federal employees (FTEs) by 10% by FY2020. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to take specified steps to reduce federal printing and travel costs. Rescinds 20% of amounts made available to the General Services Administration (GSA) for acquiring new vehicles for the federal fleet for FY2011, and limits federal vehicle costs and new vehicle purchases for FY2012 and subsequent fiscal years. Requires the Director of OMB to dispose of a quantity of real property worth at least $15 billion that is unused, and will not be used, to meet federal government needs for FY2010-FY2015. Authorizes the transfer of such property to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) if it is suitable to assist the homeless. Prohibits the use of federal funds to pay unemployment compensation to millionaires. Prescribes requirements for eliminating duplicative government programs. Requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to coordinate with the Department of Treasury and the hiring agency of any federal employee with a seriously delinquent tax debt in order to collect such taxes by withholding a portion of the employee's salary over a certain period. Prohibits federal voluntary contributions to the United Nations (UN) out of FY2011 funds from exceeding 10% less than the amount provided in FY2010. Terminates the authority of the Army Corps of Engineers to carry out low-priority construction projects. Rescinds all preexisting unobligated amounts made available for such projects. Reduces FY2011 funding for international development and humanitarian assistance by 10% of FY2010 funding. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESE Act of 1965) to repeal the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program. Rescinds all unobligated balances held for the Program before enactment of this Act. Rescinds: (1) all unobligated amounts made available for programs, activities, and grants of the Economic Development Administration (of the Department of Commerce), (2) 5% of all unobligated balances held by the Attorney General, and (3) all unobligated amounts made available for the Hollings Manufacturing Partnership Program and the Baldridge Performance Excellence Program. Terminates the authority of Secretary of Energy (DOE) to carry out fossil fuel applied research. Rescinds all unobligated amounts made available for it. Rescinds all federal unobligated amounts made available for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of federal appropriations by the Corporation. Reduces DOD FY2011 funding for: (1) procurement by 15%; and (2) research, development, test, and evaluation by 10%. Requires the Secretary of DOD to reduce obligations or expenditures in support of military installations through the reduction or elimination of related waste, fraud, and abuse. Rescinds 10% of funding for State Department diplomatic and consular programs. Amends the ESE Act of 1965 to repeal authority to pay institutions of higher education for administrative expenses relating to the student aid program. Rescinds any unobligated balances held by the Secretary for such program. Eliminates grants to large and medium hub airports under the Airport Improvement Program. Rescinds any unobligated funds made available for such grants. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to consolidate all fire management programs. Reduces by at least 10% the amounts made available for such programs. Rescinds any remaining unobligated funds. Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to repeal the high-energy cost grant program. Rescinds any unobligated funds made available for the program. Terminates the authority to carry out the resource conservation and development program of the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the Department of Agriculture. Rescinds any unobligated funds made available for the program. Amends the ESE Act of 1965 to repeal the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program (LEAP). Rescinds any unobligated balances held for LEAP. Amends the Higher Education Amendments (HEA) of 1992 to repeal the B.J. Stupak Olympic Scholarships program. Rescinds any unobligated balances held for the program. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to repeal the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program. Rescinds any unobligated balances held for the Program. Amends the ESE Act of 1965 to repeal the Educational, Cultural, Apprenticeship, and Exchange Programs for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Whaling and Trading Partners in Massachusetts. Rescinds any unobligated balances held for such Programs. Amends the HEA of 1998 to repeal the Underground Railroad educational and cultural program. Rescinds any unobligated balances held for such program. Prohibits the HUD Secretary from making competitive economic development grants for Brownfields redevelopment projects. Rescinds any unobligated amounts made available for such grants. Terminates the: (1) authority to make requirements payments to states under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, and (2) the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) established under such Act. Rescinds any unobligated amounts for such payments and the EAC. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to repeal the emergency operations center grant program. Rescinds any unobligated balances held for such program. Rescinds unobligated balances held by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for health care facilities and construction. Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to repeal the authorization and funding for specified high priority surface projects. Rescinds such unobligated funds. Amends the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to repeal the Save America's Treasures Program and the Preserve America Program. Rescinds any unobligated funds for such Programs. Terminates the Targeted Watershed Grants Program and the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Rescinds any unobligated funds for such Programs. Terminates the authority for Department of the Interior Challenge Cost Share Program grants. Rescinds any unobligated funds for such Program. Rescinds all unobligated balances held by the Secretary of HHS to carry out the Delta Health Initiative. Terminates the authority to carry out any health care services grant program of the Department of Agriculture. Rescinds any unobligated funds for such program. Amends the HEA of 1965 to repeal the student loan Repayment for Civil Legal Assistance Attorneys program. Rescinds all unobligated balances held for the program. Terminates the EPA Targeted Air Shed Grant Program. Rescinds all unobligated funds for such Program.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Cut Unsustainable and Top-Heavy Spending Act of 2011

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Brady, Kevin [R-TX-8] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Tom McClintock (R-CA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (5)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr235.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr235 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112