YourVoice.Now Summary
Your MoneyTransparency & AccountabilityNew automatic-spending programs, except Medicare and Social Security, would be shut off if costs pass a set cap.
Your Money
Programs Congress creates or renews later, with no dollar limit in law, would get a cap of 110% or 120% of their expected six-year cost. Thirty days after a program hits it, no more money could be committed, which could halt payments to people in it. Medicare and Social Security are left out.
Transparency & Accountability
The White House budget office would post a scorecard showing how much each capped program has spent. The Treasury would send it spending totals every month.
Agencies would have to warn people in writing, in contracts and benefit offers, that the program has a cap. The warning would say the cap may affect the money for future benefits.
The budget office would have 15 days to tell Congress once it expects a program to hit its cap within six months. It would report again on the day a cap is hit and spending must stop.
More about this bill
New federal programs that pay out money on their own could be shut off if they cost more than expected. This covers programs Congress creates or renews after the bill becomes law, when the law sets no dollar limit on their funding. These are "direct spending" programs, which run without a yearly funding vote by Congress. Medicare and Social Security are left out. Within 90 days, the White House budget office (OMB) would set a spending cap for each program. For defense, health, income support, and veterans programs, the cap would be 120% of the program's expected six-year cost. For all other programs, it would be 110%. If a program hits its cap during those six years, it could not commit any more money starting 30 days later. That could halt its payments. The budget office would first warn Congress when a program is six months away from its cap. Agencies would have to tell people in a capped program that its benefits could be limited. The budget office would post a public scorecard of spending for each capped program. The Treasury would send it spending totals every month. The President's yearly budget would also report on these programs. The bill was introduced in the House in September 2026 and sent to the Budget Committee.
Congressional Summary
Spending Safeguard Act This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish spending limits for certain direct spending programs that (1) are enacted or reauthorized after the enactment of this bill, and (2) do not have a specific level of authorized spending expressed as a dollar amount. The spending limits must be equal to (1) 120% of the cost of the program for defense, health, income security, or veterans benefits and services programs; and (2) 110% of the cost for other programs. The bill excludes Medicare and Social Security from the spending limits. OMB must maintain a publicly available scorecard that displays the spending level for any program that is subject to the limits. OMB and the President must submit specified reports to Congress comparing current spending to the limits. The bill prohibits obligations for programs that have reached the applicable spending limit. Agencies implementing programs listed on OMB's scorecard must ensure that any contract, offer of benefits, or other material provided to program participants specifies that the program is subject to a spending limit that may impact future availability of funds to pay benefits.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-09-28
- Date Added
- 2026-10-15
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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