S. 3005 – Make Rules Matter Act

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Updated February 8, 2026 at 7:23 AM UTC

The Make Rules Matter Act sets new dollar thresholds for when Senate budget points of order can be raised and establishes how they can be waived or appealed. It lowers the amounts that trigger large‑budget‑impact points of order, creates a de‑minimis exemption, and requires a two‑thirds Senate vote to waive or sustain appeals. The changes apply to emergency designations, large budget impacts, and both short‑term and long‑term deficit increases.

Key Provisions

Defines “emergency designation point of order” and requires a two‑thirds Senate vote to waive or suspend it, and the same supermajority to sustain an appeal.
Sets a $5 billion threshold for large‑budget‑impact points of order; any legislation exceeding that triggers a point of order that can be waived only with a two‑thirds vote.
Creates a de‑minimis exemption: violations of $500,000 or less do not trigger points of order under the Budget and Impoundment Control Act or concurrent budget resolutions.
Lowers the short‑term deficit increase threshold from $10 billion to $1 billion for waiver or appeal, requiring a two‑thirds Senate vote.
Lowers the long‑term deficit increase threshold from $5 billion to $1 billion over a ten‑year period for waiver or appeal, also requiring a two‑thirds Senate vote.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

SenateCalendars Latest Action

Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 146.

October 20, 2021

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

October 19, 2021

SenateCalendars

Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.

October 19, 2021

SenateCalendars

Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 146.

October 20, 2021

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 3005 on the floor

1 Democrat

Sen. Charles E. SchumerD-NY · Oct 19, 2021

Madam President, I understand there are 6 bills at the desk, and I ask for their reading, en bloc. Madam President, I now ask for a second reading and, in order to place the bills on the calendar…

Sen. Charles E. SchumerD-NY · Oct 20, 2021

Mr. President, I understand that there are six bills at the desk due for a second reading en bloc. In order to place the bills on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I would object to…

Bill Text

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Placed on Calendar SenateIssued October 20, 2021

II

Calendar No. 146

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 3005

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 19, 2021

Mr. Braun introduced the following bill; which was read the first time

October 20, 2021

Read the second time and placed on the calendar

A BILL

Establishing appropriate thresholds for certain budget points of order in the Senate, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Make Rules Matter Act.

2.

Thresholds for budget points of order

(a)

Threshold for point of order against emergency designations

(1)

Definition

In this subsection, the term emergency designation point of order means a point of order raised under—

(A)

section 314(e) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 645(e));

(B)

section 4(g)(3) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)(3)); or

(C)

section 4112(e) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.

(2)

Waiver

In the Senate, an emergency designation point of order may be waived or suspended only by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn.

(3)

Appeal

In the Senate, an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on an emergency designation point of order.

(b)

Threshold for large budget impact for certain Congressional Budget Act of 1974 points of order

(1)

In general

A point of order described in paragraph (3) may be waived or suspended in the Senate only by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn.

(2)

Appeal

In the Senate, an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a point of order described in paragraph (3).

(3)

Description of large budget impact

A point of order described in this paragraph is a point of order under section 302(f)(2) or 311(a)(2)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 633(f)(2), 642(a)(2)(A)) against legislation that would, within the time periods applicable to the point of order, as determined by the Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate, cause budget authority or outlays to exceed the applicable allocation, suballocation, level, or aggregate by more than $5,000,000,000.

(c)

De minimis budget impact

For a violation for which the absolute value of the violation is not more than $500,000, a point of order shall not lie—

(1)

under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 621 et seq.) (except for a point of order under section 302 or 311 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 633, 642)); or

(2)

under any concurrent resolution on the budget.

(d)

Threshold for increasing short-Term deficits

(1)

Reduction in net increase in the deficit

In the Senate, section 404(a) of S. Con. Res. 13 (111th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2010, shall be applied by substituting $1,000,000,000 for $10,000,000,000.

(2)

Waiver and appeal for large budget impact in the Senate

(A)

Waiver

In the Senate, section 404(a) of S. Con. Res. 13 (111th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2010, may be waived or suspended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, if the net increase in the deficit in any fiscal year exceeds $10,000,000,000.

(B)

Appeal

In the Senate, an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under section 404(a) of S. Con. Res. 13 (111th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2010, if the net increase in the deficit in any fiscal year exceeds $10,000,000,000.

(e)

Threshold for increasing long-Term deficits

(1)

Reduction in net increase in the deficit

In the Senate, subsections (a) and (b)(1) of section 3101 of S. Con. Res. 11 (114th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2016, shall each be applied by substituting $1,000,000,000 for $5,000,000,000.

(2)

Waiver and appeal for large budget impact in the Senate

(A)

Waiver

In the Senate, section 3101(b)(1) of S. Con. Res. 11 (114th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2016, may be waived or suspended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, if the net increase in on-budget deficits in any 10-fiscal-year period exceeds $10,000,000,000.

(B)

Appeal

In the Senate, an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under section 3101(b)(1) of S. Con. Res. 11 (114th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2016, if the net increase in on-budget deficits in any 10-fiscal-year period exceeds $10,000,000,000.

3.

Effective date

This Act shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.

October 20, 2021

Read the second time and placed on the calendar