S. 1598: Pay Our Bills Act

113th Congress · introduced 2013-10-29 · Economics and Public Finance · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2013-10-29 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. 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

Pay Our Bills Act

Plain summary

Pay Our Bills Act - Authorizes an extension of the presidential authority to modify the public debt ceiling (subject to enactment of a congressional joint resolution of disapproval). Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to borrow an additional amount required to meet existing commitments if the President certifies to Congress that the public debt is within $100 billion of the current limit and that further borrowing is required. (The debt limit was $16.699 trillion before its suspension in the Continuing Appropriations Act, FY2014 [P.L. 113-46].) Authorizes Congress to use current requirements for expedited consideration of the joint resolution. Increases the debt limit by the certified amount if the time for disaproval has lapsed without enactment of the joint resolution. Suspends the debt limit for the period beginning on the date on which the President submits such a certification to Congress and ending on the earlier of: 15 calendar days after Congress receives the certification, or enactment of a joint resolution disapproving the President's exercise of authority for the debt limit under that certification. Increases the debt limit, effective on the day after the certification is submitted, to the extent that: the face amount of public debt obligations and those whose principal and interest are guaranteed by the U.S. government (except guaranteed obligations held by the Secretary) outstanding on the day after such date exceeds the face amount of such obligations outstanding on the date the President certifies Congress. Excludes from such formula any obligation whose issuance was not necessary to fund a commitment that required payment before the day after the certification is submitted to Congress. Prohibits the debt limit from being increased if a joint resolution of disapproval is enacted within 15 days after receipt by Congress (in session or not) of a presidential certification that the public debt is within $100 billion of the current limit. Provides for expedited consideration of such a joint resolution in the House and Senate.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

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.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Pay Our Bills Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI)

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 (4)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Joint resolution: In Texas, the type of measure the Legislature uses to propose a constitutional amendment (marked HJR or SJR). The governor does not sign or veto it; the voters decide. In Congress a joint resolution can also be used like a bill. In Florida, a joint resolution passed by three-fifths of the members of each chamber puts a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
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 Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113s1598.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/s>

Record fed-us-cong113-s1598 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113