---
kind: "section"
citation: "2 U.S.C. § 903"
title: "2"
title_heading: "The Congress"
number: "903"
heading: "Enforcing deficit targets"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/2/903"
units:
  - "Chapter 20 — Emergency Powers to Eliminate Budget Deficits"
  - "Subchapter I — Elimination of Deficits in Excess of Maximum Deficit Amount"
---

# §903. Enforcing deficit targets

- (a) **Sequestration—** Within 15 calendar days after Congress adjourns to end a session (other than of the One Hundred First Congress) and on the same day as a [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2) (if any) under [section 901 of this title](/usc/2/901.md) and [section 902 of this title](/usc/2/902.md), but after any [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2) required by [section 901 of this title](/usc/2/901.md) (enforcing [discretionary spending limits](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1)) or [section 902 of this title](/usc/2/902.md) (enforcing pay-as-you-go), there shall be a [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2) to eliminate the excess [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) (if any remains) if it exceeds the margin.
- (b) **Excess deficit; margin—** The excess [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) is, if greater than zero, the estimated [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) for the [budget year](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-12), minus—
  - (1) the maximum [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) amount for that year;
  - (2) the amounts for that year designated as [emergency](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-20) [direct spending](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-8) or receipts legislation under [section 902(e) of this title](/usc/2/902.md?p=e); and
  - (3) for any fiscal year in which there is not a full adjustment for technical and economic reestimates, the [deposit insurance](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-18) reestimate for that year, if any, calculated under [subsection (h)](#h).

  The “margin” for fiscal year 1992 or 1993 is zero and for fiscal year 1994 or 1995 is $15,000,000,000.

- (c) **Dividing sequestration—** To eliminate the excess [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) in a [budget year](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-12), half of the required outlay reductions shall be obtained from non-exempt defense [accounts](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) ([accounts](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) designated as function 050 in the President’s fiscal year 1991 budget submission) and half from non-exempt, non-defense [accounts](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) (all other non-exempt [accounts](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11)).
- (d) **Defense—** Each non-exempt defense [account](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) shall be reduced by a dollar amount calculated by multiplying the level of sequestrable [budgetary resources](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-6) in that [account](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) at that time by the uniform percentage necessary to carry out [subsection (c)](#c), except that, if any military personnel are exempt, adjustments shall be made under the procedure set forth in [section 901(a)(3) of this title](/usc/2/901.md?p=a-3).
- (e) **Non-defense—** Actions to reduce non-defense [accounts](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) shall be taken in the following order:
  - (1) **First—** All reductions in automatic spending increases under [section 906(a)](/usc/2/906.md?p=a)[^1] of this title shall be made.
  - (2) **Second—** If additional reductions in non-defense [accounts](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) are required to be made, the maximum reduction permissible under [sections 906(b)](/usc/2/906.md?p=b) of this title (guaranteed student loans) and 906(c)[^1] of this title (foster care and adoption assistance) shall be made.
  - (3) **Third—**
    - (A) If additional reductions in non-defense [accounts](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) are required to be made, each remaining non-exempt, non-defense [account](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) shall be reduced by the uniform percentage necessary to make the reductions in non-defense [outlays](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) required by [subsection (c)](#c), except that—
      - (i) the medicare program specified in [section 906(d) of this title](/usc/2/906.md?p=d) shall not be reduced by more than 2 percent in total including any reduction of less than 2 percent made under [section 902 of this title](/usc/2/902.md) or, if it has been reduced by 2 percent or more under [section 902 of this title](/usc/2/902.md), it may not be further reduced under this section; and
      - (ii) the health programs set forth in [section 906(e) of this title](/usc/2/906.md?p=e) shall not be reduced by more than 2 percent in total (including any reduction made under [section 901 of this title](/usc/2/901.md)),

      and the uniform percent applicable to all other programs under this subsection shall be increased (if necessary) to a level sufficient to achieve the required reduction in non-defense [outlays](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1).

    - (B) For purposes of determining reductions under [subparagraph (A)](#e-3-A), outlay reduction (as a result of [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2) of Commodity Credit Corporation commodity price support contracts in the fiscal year of a [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2)) that would occur in the following fiscal year shall be credited as outlay reductions in the fiscal year of the [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2).
- (f) **Baseline assumptions; part-year appropriations—**
  - (1) **Budget assumptions—** For purposes of subsections [(b)](#b), [(c)](#c), [(d)](#d), and [(e)](#e), [accounts](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) shall be assumed to be at the level in the [baseline](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-5) minus any reductions required to be made under sections [901](/usc/2/901.md) and [902](/usc/2/902.md) of this title.
  - (2) **Part-year appropriations—** If, on the date specified in [subsection (a)](#a), there is in effect an Act making or continuing appropriations for part of a fiscal year for any non-exempt budget [account](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11), then the dollar [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2) calculated for that [account](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) under subsection [(d)](#d) or [(e)](#e), as applicable, shall be subtracted from—
    - (A) the annualized amount otherwise available by law in that [account](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) under that or a subsequent part-year appropriation; and
    - (B) when a full-year appropriation for that [account](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) is enacted, from the amount otherwise provided by the full-year appropriation; except that the amount to be sequestered from that [account](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11) shall be reduced (but not below zero) by the savings achieved by that appropriation when the enacted amount is less than the [baseline](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-5) for that [account](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11).
- (g) **Adjustments to maximum deficit amounts—**
  - (1) **Adjustments—**
    - (A) When the President submits the budget for fiscal year 1992, the maximum [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) amounts for fiscal years 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995 shall be adjusted to reflect up-to-date reestimates of economic and technical assumptions and any changes in concepts or definitions. When the President submits the budget for fiscal year 1993, the maximum [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) amounts for fiscal years 1993, 1994, and 1995 shall be further adjusted to reflect up-to-date reestimates of economic and technical assumptions and any changes in concepts or definitions.
    - (B) When submitting the budget for fiscal year 1994, the President may choose to adjust the maximum [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) amounts for fiscal years 1994 and 1995 to reflect up-to-date reestimates of economic and technical assumptions. If the President chooses to adjust the maximum [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) amount when submitting the fiscal year 1994 budget, the President may choose to invoke the same adjustment procedure when submitting the budget for fiscal year 1995. In each case, the President must choose between making no adjustment or the full adjustment described in [paragraph (2)](#g-2). If the President chooses to make that full adjustment, then those procedures for adjusting [discretionary spending limits](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) described in [sections 901(b)(1)(C)](/usc/2/901.md)[^1] and 901(b)(2)(E)[^1] of this title, otherwise applicable through fiscal year 1993 or 1994 (as the case may be), shall be deemed to apply for fiscal year 1994 (and 1995 if applicable).
    - (C) When the budget for fiscal year 1994 or 1995 is submitted and the [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2) reports for those years under [section 904 of this title](/usc/2/904.md) are made (as applicable), if the President does not choose to make the adjustments set forth in [subparagraph (B)](#g-1-B), the maximum [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) amount for that fiscal year shall be adjusted by the amount of the adjustment to [discretionary spending limits](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) first applicable for that year (if any) under [section 901(b) of this title](/usc/2/901.md?p=b).
    - (D) For each fiscal year the adjustments required to be made with the submission of the President’s budget for that year shall also be made when [OMB](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-15) submits the [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2) update report and the final [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2) report for that year, but [OMB](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-15) shall continue to use the economic and technical assumptions in the President’s budget for that year.

    Each adjustment shall be made by increasing or decreasing the maximum [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) amounts set forth in section 665[^1] of this title.

  - (2) **Calculations of adjustments—** The required increase or decrease shall be calculated as follows:
    - (A) The [baseline](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-5) [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) or surplus shall be calculated using up-to-date economic and technical assumptions, using up-to-date concepts and definitions, and, in lieu of the [baseline](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-5) levels of [discretionary appropriations](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-7), using the [discretionary spending limits](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) set forth in section 665[^1] of this title as adjusted under [section 901 of this title](/usc/2/901.md).
    - (B) The net [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) increase or decrease caused by all [direct spending](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-8) and receipts legislation enacted after November 5, 1990 (after adjusting for any [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2) of [direct spending](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-8) [accounts](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-11)) shall be calculated for each fiscal year by adding—
      - (i) the estimates of [direct spending](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-8) and receipts legislation transmitted under [section 902(d) of this title](/usc/2/902.md?p=d) applicable to each such fiscal year; and
      - (ii) the estimated amount of savings in [direct spending](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-8) programs applicable to each such fiscal year resulting from the prior year’s [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2) under this section or [section 902 of this title](/usc/2/902.md) of [direct spending](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-8), if any, as contained in [OMB](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-15)’s final [sequestration](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-2) report for that year.
    - (C) The amount calculated under [subparagraph (B)](#g-2-B) shall be subtracted from the amount calculated under [subparagraph (A)](#g-2-A).
    - (D) The maximum [deficit](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-1) amount set forth in section 665[^1] of this title shall be subtracted from the amount calculated under [subparagraph (C)](#g-2-C).
    - (E) The amount calculated under [subparagraph (D)](#g-2-D) shall be the amount of the adjustment required by [paragraph (1)](#g-1).
- (h) **Treatment of deposit insurance—**
  - (1) **Initial estimates—** The initial estimates of the net costs of federal [deposit insurance](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-18) for fiscal year 1994 and fiscal year 1995 (assuming full funding of, and continuation of, the [deposit insurance](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-18) guarantee commitment in effect on the date of the submission of the budget for fiscal year 1993) shall be set forth in that budget.
  - (2) **Reestimates—** For fiscal year 1994 and fiscal year 1995, the amount of the reestimate of [deposit insurance](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-18) costs shall be calculated by subtracting the amount set forth under [paragraph (1)](#h-1) for that year from the [current](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-9) estimate of [deposit insurance](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-18) costs (but assuming full funding of, and continuation of, the [deposit insurance](/usc/2/900.md?p=c-18) guarantee commitment in effect on the date of submission of the budget for fiscal year 1993).

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 99–177, title II, § 253, Dec. 12, 1985, 99 Stat. 1078; Pub. L. 100–119, title I, § 103, Sept. 29, 1987, 101 Stat. 775; Pub. L. 101–508, title XIII, § 13101(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–583.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 906(a) of this title, referred to in subsec. (e)(1), was repealed by Pub. L. 111–139, title I, § 10(a), Feb. 12, 2010, 124 Stat. 21.

Section 906(c) of this title, referred to in subsec. (e)(2), was repealed by Pub. L. 111–139, title I, § 10(c), Feb. 12, 2010, 124 Stat. 22.

Section 901(b) of this title, referred to in subsec. (g)(1)(B), was amended by Pub. L. 105–33, title X, § 10203(a)(4), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 699; Pub. L. 105–178, title VIII, § 8101(d), June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 490; Pub. L. 109–59, title VIII, § 8002, Aug. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 1916; and Pub. L. 112–25, title I, § 101, Aug. 2, 2011, 125 Stat. 241, and as so amended, no longer contains par. (1)(C) or (2)(E).

Section 665 of this title, referred to in subsec. (g)(1), (2)(A), (D), was repealed by Pub. L. 105–33, title X, § 10118(a), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 695.

### Codification

November 5, 1990, referred to in subsec. (g)(2)(B), was in the original “the date of enactment of this section”, which was translated as meaning the date of enactment of Pub. L. 101–508, which amended this section generally, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

### Amendments

1990—Pub. L. 101–508 amended section generally, substituting provisions relating to enforcement of deficit targets for provisions relating to compliance report by Comptroller General.

1987—Pub. L. 100–119 amended section generally, designating existing provisions as par. (1), substituting “(or December 15, 1987, in the case of the fiscal year 1988)” for “(or on or before April 1, 1986, in the case of the fiscal year 1986)”, and adding pars. (2) and (3).