US Representative from Iowa’s Third Congressional District Zach Nunn has introduced new legislation that deals with the nation’s debt. 

The bill is called the “Extraordinary Measures Transparency Act,” which would require the US Department of Treasury to report to Congress regarding the measures used to avoid exceeding the statutory debt limit. Nunn says that secretaries of the Treasury are allowed to use what’s termed as “extraordinary measures,” to pay the nation’s debts as Congress deliberates on whether or not to increase the debt limit and he wants clarity in that process. 

“We would like transparency in that so that we know where that money is being pulled from, who’s getting shortchanged? Who’s being prioritized not by Congress, not even by the President, but by the Department of the Treasury. (Secretary of the Treasury) Janet Yellen decides who’s going to get paid tomorrow and who’s not, because, as we’ve stated, our priority is Social Security recipients, Medicare, active duty military pay, veterans benefits to them and their spouses.” 

Nunn says that the legislation also requires the Treasury Department to project how long these extraordinary measures will fund the government and estimate the cost connected with taking those actions. He adds the legislation has bipartisan support from North Carolina’s First Congressional District Don Davis, who is a Democrat.