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The Ryan Budget's Radical Priorities
Revised July 7, 2010
I. Summary The Roadmap for America’s Future, which Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) — the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee — released in late January, calls for radical policy changes that would result in a massive transfer of resources from the broad majority of Americans to the nation’s … -
Thune Response to CBPP Report Misses Mark
June 17, 2010
We reported on June 15[1] that Senator John Thune’s proposal to cut $140.6 billion in budget authority from discretionary (i.e., non-entitlement) programs in fiscal year 2010 would shut down much of the federal government for the last two and a half months of the fiscal year (which ends September 30). Senator Thune said we are wrong … -
Thune Amendment Would Shut Down Much of the Federal Government for Final Months of Fiscal Year
June 15, 2010
Senator John Thune has proposed legislation with an obvious surface appeal to those concerned about federal spending and deficits — to cancel 5 percent of appropriated funds for fiscal year 2010, as well as tens of billions of dollars of unspent funds from last year’s Recovery Act and other legislation. But his legislation would … -
Sessions-McCaskill Proposal to Establish Discretionary Funding Limits Would Impose Steep Cuts on Domestic Programs
May 25, 2010
A proposal by Senators Jeff Sessions and Claire McCaskill to establish binding limits on discretionary appropriations for the next three years, which they are offering as an amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill now on the Senate floor, would necessitate much larger cuts in nondefense discretionary programs than many policymakers … -
Budgetary Concerns Should Not Be An Obstacle to Passing the New Jobs Bill
Revised May 20, 2010
Congress is about to take up a jobs bill that will provide a needed boost to the economic recovery and help people still struggling to find work in a difficult labor market. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander Levin today released a summary of … -
Ryan’s Response to Center’s Analysis of “Roadmap” Is Off Base
Revised May 6, 2010
We are quite disappointed that, in responding to our analysis[1] of his budget plan, Rep. Paul Ryan accuses[2] the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities of “partisan demagoguery” as well as “factual errors and misleading statements.” Quite the contrary, we applied the same rigorous analytical process to Rep. Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s … -
Sessions-McCaskill Amendment to Establish Discretionary Funding Limits Would Impose Severe Cuts on Domestic Programs
Revised April 19, 2010
A proposal by Senators Jeff Sessions and Claire McCaskill to establish binding limits on discretionary appropriations for the next three years would necessitate cuts in nondefense discretionary programs that would total nearly $30 billion in fiscal year 2011 (a 5 percent cut) and could total almost $100 billion (a 15 percent … -
Obama Budget Reduces Deficit by $1.3 Trillion over Next Decade Compared to Current Policies
April 5, 2010
Despite claims that President Obama’s policies will generate big increases in deficits, his 2011 budget would actually reduce deficits by about $1.3 trillion over ten years, based on a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate of his budget and a realistic assessment of what deficits would be if policymakers continued to follow current … -
Media Briefing: Debunking Claims That Health Reform Will Not Reduce the Deficit
March 29, 2010
Robert Greenstein, and former senior Congressional Budget Office (CBO) officials James Horney and Paul Van de Water, discuss claims that the health reform legislation will not reduce the deficit because of gimmicks in it – despite an official CBO estimate to the contrary. Robert Reischauer, former CBO Director and now President of the Urban Institute, also joins the briefing.
Duration: 20:42
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Health Reform Will Reduce the Deficit
March 25, 2010
Despite an official estimate by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to the contrary, some critics of the new health reform legislation — such as Rep. Paul Ryan and former CBO director and McCain campaign adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin — charge that it will not reduce federal budget deficits because it relies on budgetary gimmicks … -
Media Briefing: The Ryan Budget’s Radical Priorities
March 10, 2010
Robert Greenstein and Paul Van de Water discuss the radical priorities in Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposal in a media call on March 10, 2010.
Duration: 21:34
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Statement: Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, on the Statutory “Pay As You Go” Budget Proposal
January 27, 2010
This proposal marks a useful step toward restoring fiscal responsibility. A well-designed pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rule can contribute significantly to the fiscal discipline needed to address the nation’s serious long-term budget problems, presuming that policymakers abide by it and pay … -
With Fully Offset Tax Extender Bill, House Advances Important Fiscal Principle; Senate Should Follow
December 9, 2009
The House tax extender bill represents a step forward in the important effort to reinstate a pay-as-you-go norm to federal legislation — a norm that played a key role in enabling the White House and Congress to turn large deficits into substantial surpluses in the 1990s The nation is on an unsustainable fiscal path, and … -
A Brief Analysis of the Congressional Budget Plan
May 4, 2009
The budget resolution Congress adopted last week for fiscal year 2010[1] largely reflects the proposals in the preliminary budget President Obama submitted to Congress in February. Under the budget resolution: Deficits will be very high by historical standards in the next several years … -
Huffington Post Op-Ed: Senate to Uber-Rich: “Help Is on the Way”
April 13, 2009
"...Is this the time to spend about $90 billion over the next decade to give the nation's wealthiest households a new, multi-million-dollar tax cut? The U.S. Senate apparently thinks so." Read more -
Lincoln-Kyl Estate Tax Amendment is Both Unnecessary and Unaffordable
Revised April 10, 2009
On April 2 the Senate narrowly adopted (by a 51-48 vote) an amendment to the budget resolution by Senators Blanche Lincoln and Jon Kyl that would substantially weaken the estate tax. This proposal is both fiscally irresponsible — it would pave the way for a significant increase in … -
Policy Points: Congressional Budgets Pass Early Tests on Deficits and Economy, but Questions Remain
April 3, 2009
On the whole, the budget plans that the House and Senate approved yesterday pass the twin tests of: (1) beginning to address long-term deficits, or at least not making these deficits worse; and (2) not undermining the fiscal stimulus Congress recently passed. [i] The … -
House Republican Budget Would Aid Wealthy Individuals and Corporations, Cut Public Services, Slow Economic Recovery
April 2, 2009
The House Republican budget, introduced April 1 by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), calls for a massive transfer of resources from the broad majority of Americans to the nation’s wealthiest individuals and corporations.[1] It provides the richest households with a new round of very costly tax reductions by extending the Bush high-income tax cuts and adding another set of tax cuts that … -
An Analysis of the House and Senate Budget Plans
April 1, 2009
The congressional budget resolutions that the House and Senate are considering this week are essentially consistent with the budget blueprint that President Obama submitted to the Congress in February.[1] The President’s budget and the House and Senate plans (which their … -
Scoring Health Legislation
April 1, 2009
The National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation has released a new edition of Expert Voices, Scoring Health Legislation by Paul N. Van de Water, PhD, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The fate of legislative proposals in the U.S. Congress often hinges on how much they are estimated to increase or decrease the federal budget deficit. Currently, the Congressional Budget Office … -
Two Key Tests for House and Senate Action on Congressional Budget Resolution
March 31, 2009
As Congress prepares a budget resolution for fiscal year 2010, it should apply two key tests to any proposed change in the plans approved by the House and Senate Budget Committees: Would the proposal support economic recovery in the near term? Would … -
Podcast: Key Differences in the House and Senate Stimulus Plans
February 10, 2009
This podcast featuring Robert Greenstein and Len Burman (Co-director, Urban Institute-Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center and Senior Fellow, Urban Institute) discusses the key differences between the House and Senate economic recovery packages in both the tax and spending areas and address how Congress should resolve them.
Duration: 25:23
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Podcast: Reality Check on the Stimulus Debate
February 5, 2009
This podcast featuring Robert Greenstein discusses whether stimulus proposals being offered in the Senate this week would make the overall recovery package more or less effective in boosting the economy. He also addresses a number of misconceptions circulating around the House and Senate recovery packages.
Duration: 16:50
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Policy Basics: Introduction to the Federal Budget Process
Updated December 17, 2008
The way Congress develops tax and spending legislation is guided by a set of specific procedures laid out in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. The centerpiece of the Budget Act is the requirement that Congress each year develop a “budget resolution” setting aggregate limits on spending and targets for … -
How Projected Surpluses Became Deficits
September 12, 2008
The federal budget is projected to run a $546 billion deficit in 2009, compared with the $710 billion surplus that budget experts projected for 2009 back when President Bush took office nearly eight years ago. This $1.3 trillion deterioration in the nation’s fiscal finances for 2009 can be seen by comparing estimates that the … -
The Congressional Budget Plan
May 22, 2008
On May 20, House and Senate negotiators reached agreement on a congressional budget plan for fiscal year 2009 (S.Con.Res. 70), which the House and Senate plan to vote on by the end of this week. This paper provides a brief analysis of the plan and how it compares with the budget President Bush submitted earlier this year. Current … -
Statement by Robert Greenstein, on Misleading Claims That Congressional Budget Plan Calls For "Largest Tax Increase In History"
May 20, 2008
Some claim that the budget plan of the conferees — which the House and Senate are scheduled to consider this week — would constitute “the largest tax increase in history.” This claim is inaccurate, just as the same claim was inaccurate with regard to the budget … -
Federal Spending, 2001-2008: Defense Is a Rapidly Growing Share of the Budget, While Domestic Appropriations Have Shrunk
Revised March 6, 2008
Both last year and this year, President Bush called for large funding increases for defense and related programs while demanding considerable restraint in domestic appropriations. And this year, like last year, he has threatened to veto appropriations bills if Congress does not adhere to his tight domestic levels. Some may think … -
Fact-Checking the Budget Resolution Debate
Revised March 13, 2008
In the ongoing debates over the House and Senate budget resolutions, some members of Congress have made questionable or inaccurate statements regarding various issues. This brief factsheet, which will be updated as needed throughout the debates, corrects the record regarding some of the most egregious examples. 1. “Eighteen million seniors will see their … -
2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Cuts Funding for Head Start
Revised February 6, 2008
This year, as in 2007, Congress and the President are likely to have a contentious debate about the appropriate level of overall funding for “appropriated” programs — the programs funded through the annual appropriations process, including most education, environmental, veterans, defense, and transportation … -
A Tale of Two Bills: The Labor-HHS-Education and Defense Appropriations Bills
Revised November 16, 2007
President Bush has said he will veto the appropriations bill that funds the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for the coming fiscal year, while he plans to sign the bill funding the Department of Defense. The Administration says the funding Congress provides in the Labor-HHS-Education bill is … -
Labor-HHS-Education Bill – What’s at Stake
Revised November 16, 2007
Congress is poised to send the President a bill that provides funding for a broad array of domestic discretionary programs — that is, non-entitlement programs whose funding is provided each year through the annual appropriations process. The Senate on November 7 approved a bill (H.R. 3043) that includes funding for programs … -
The President’s Misleading Attack on Congress’s Appropriations Plan
November 14, 2007
In vetoing the appropriations bill funding the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, the President charged yesterday that Congress plans an irresponsible increase of $205 billion over the next five years in domestic discretionary spending (spending on domestic programs funded through the appropriations process) over the … -
Statement: Robert Greenstein on the President's Veto of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill
November 13, 2007
We find it stunning for the President to reject a $5 billion increase for education, medical research and other priorities as unaffordable, while insisting that Congress finance the $51 billion cost of AMT relief through higher deficits instead of by closing tax loopholes exploited by multi-millionaires. The President’s action … -
The House Has Complied This Year With Its New “Pay-As-You-Go” Rule: But Greater Challenges Lie Ahead
November 7, 2007
In early January, the House of Representatives established a Pay-As-You-Go rule. The rule prohibits the House from considering any tax or entitlement legislation that would increase projected deficits over the coming ten-year period. Proposed entitlement increases must be fully offset, or “paid for,” by reductions in … -
The Labor – H.H.S. – Education Veto in Context
October 24, 2007
President Bush has said he will veto the appropriations bill that funds the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for the coming fiscal year if Congress sends the bill to him with funding at the level either the House or Senate has approved.[i] The Administration says the funding provided in the House- and … -
President’s Attack on Congressional Appropriations Plan is Misleading
September 24, 2007
In the escalating battle over the domestic appropriations bills for fiscal year 2008, the President and senior Administration officials have charged that congressional Democrats plan an irresponsible increase of $205 billion over the next five years in discretionary spending (i.e., spending on programs funded through the appropriations process). Yet this claim — which the President repeated in … -
The 2008 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill
July 18, 2007
The Bush Administration has threatened to veto almost all appropriations bills that provide more funding than the President has requested, such as the bill funding the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for fiscal year 2008, which starts October 1. The President has described congressional appropriations plans as … -
The Fight Over Appropriations: Myths and Reality
June 21, 2007
The House and Senate appropriations committees recently established funding levels for each of the 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2008, and have begun producing bills that meet these targets.[1] The Administration has charged that these funding levels represent large, fiscally irresponsible increases in federal spending that would threaten fiscal stability and the economy. It has … -
The Congressional Budget Plan
Revised May 29, 2007
On May 16, House and Senate negotiators reached agreement on a Congressional budget plan for fiscal year 2008 (S Con Res 21). Both the House and the Senate passed the conference report (S Rpt 110-153) the next day, and the report has now gone into effect as the approved fiscal year 2008 budget plan. This paper provides a brief overview of the conference … -
Discretionary Funding Under the New Congressional Budget Plan
May 16, 2007
On May 11, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget sent a letter to Congress on behalf of the Bush Administration, threatening to veto any 2008 appropriations legislation that exceeds the levels requested by President Bush. As apparent justification for the threat, the OMB letter charged that the congressional budget plans approved by the Senate … -
Ryan Budget Plan Would Increase Deficits, Exacerbate Inequality
March 29, 2007
When the House of Representatives debates the congressional budget plan for fiscal year 2008, Rep. Paul Ryan, the Ranking Republican Member of the House Budget Committee, will offer a substitute for the budget plan that the Budget Committee approved on March 23, 2007.[1] This analysis focuses on four aspects of the Ryan substitute. The tax and entitlement policies in the substitute … -
The House Budget Committee's Budget Plan
Revised March 22, 2007
The House Budget Committee voted early this morning along party lines to approve a budget plan that the full House is scheduled to consider next week. This budget, which is very similar to the one approved by the Senate Budget Committee last week, marks an important first step in restoring fiscal responsibility in Congressional budgeting. [1] Restoring … -
The Senate Budget Committee's Budget Plan
Revised March 19, 2007
The Senate is scheduled during the week of March 19 to consider a budget plan that the Senate Budget Committee adopted March 15 on a party-line vote. This budget marks an important first step in restoring fiscal responsibility in Congressional budgeting. Restoring Pay-As-You-Go The budget plan — known as a budget resolution — is notable for … -
How Should Policymakers Treat The Budget For Non-Defense "Discretionary" Programs?
March 13, 2007
As Congress prepares a budget resolution that will (among other things) set funding limits for discretionary programs for fiscal year 2008, it is appropriate to examine funding trends for these programs in the context of the nation’s overall budgetary situation. Discretionary programs include defense and homeland security spending, international affairs programs, and domestic programs … -
From Surplus to Deficit
December 13, 2006
The adjournment of the 109th Congress provides an opportunity for a broad look at the budget legislation enacted since a new Administration and Congress took office at the start of 2001. This review finds that the national debt at the end of fiscal year 2006 (which ended September 30) was nearly twice as large as it would have been if Congress had left … -
Basic Questions and Answers About the Deficit
October 30, 2006
1. How big is the deficit? In fiscal year 2006, which ended October 1, the federal deficit was $248 billion, meaning the government spent $248 billion — or 10 percent — more than it collected that year. Put another way, this means that for every $10 of taxes the U.S. government collected last year, it spent $11 to … -
Appropriations for 2006
Revised October 13, 2006
Congress completed action on the regular appropriations bills for fiscal year 2006 on December 21, 2005, after imposing a one-percent across-the-board cut on all funding except that for veterans or emergencies. The one-percent cut is in addition to the specific reductions or increases otherwise provided by the 2006 bills.… -
Recent Action by Congress Sets Up Larger Appropriations Cuts in Lame-Duck Session
October 13, 2006
As a result of action Congress took before adjourning for the elections, widespread cuts in domestic appropriated programs are likely to be made during Congress’ lame-duck session (or early next year, if Congress fails to complete action on appropriations for fiscal year 2007 in November or December). Congress shifted $5.3 billion that Senate … -
Proposed Line-Item Veto Legislation Would Invite Abuse by Executive Branch
Revised April 21, 2006
The Administration has proposed the Legislative Line Item Veto Act of 2006, which was recently introduced in Congress by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) as S. 2381 and by Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as H.R. 4890.[1] Both the House and the Senate are expected to consider the proposal in coming months. The … -
The Republican Study Committee Budget Plan
April 6, 2006
The Republican Study Committee, a group of very conservative members of the House of Representatives, issued a budget plan on March 8, 2006. That plan may be offered as an amendment later this week to the congressional budget resolution reported by the House Budget Committee. The … -
How High Did the Senate Budget Resolution Set Domestic Discretionary Funding for 2007?
Revised March 29, 2006
There has been misunderstanding regarding the amount of funding for domestic discretionary programs added to the Senate budget resolution on the Senate floor. Some have thought that the Senate floor added $16 billion in 2007 funding for domestic discretionary programs. Not counting an amendment offered by Senators Arlen … -
Five-Year Discretionary Caps Would Be Unwise at This Time
March 27, 2006
The President has again proposed enactment of binding caps for each of the next five years on overall levels of funding and expenditures for discretionary programs (i.e., programs that are non-entitlements). Under the proposal, the cap for each fiscal year through 2011 would be set at the overall levels for discretionary … -
"Joint Budget Resolution" Could Lead to Gridlock on Appropriations and Shift Power to the Executive Branch
March 16, 2006
Under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, budget resolutions are “concurrent resolutions” that do not go to the President for his signature or veto and are not laws. Also under current rules, if a budget resolution has not been approved by May 15, appropriations bills may be brought to the House floor so that … -
Proposed Cap Would Require Deep Cuts In Entitlement Programs
March 16, 2006
The Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative members of the House of Representatives, has proposed to establish an “entitlement cap” that limits total expenditures for entitlement programs other than Social Security and requires projected expenditures for such programs to be cut $1.8 trillion over the next … -
Has the Safety Net Greatly Expanded over the Last Five Years?
March 7, 2006
The Heritage Foundation recently issued a paper by Brian Riedl claiming that programs for the poor have expanded greatly on President Bush’s watch and have done very well in the budget changes of recent years. This claim has been promoted in several op-eds by Riedl and repeated in various media interviews. Riedl often … -
New Price Data Show Additional LIHEAP Funding Still Needed
February 17, 2006
Before departing in December for its winter recess, Congress enacted legislation that appropriated funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program at a level one percent below last year’s level. Congress reduced LIHEAP funding despite the fact that the prices of heating fuels used by LIHEAP beneficiaries have … -
Despite Inclusion of “Marriage-Promotion” Funding, Budget Bill Would Penalize States That Provide TANF Assistance to Poor Married Families
January 31, 2006
In December, the House and Senate each passed slightly different versions of the budget reconciliation conference agreement.[1] The bills include a set of provisions related to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, including significant changes in the work requirements that states and families must meet. These changes differ significantly from previous versions of TANF … -
Out in the Cold: How Much LIHEAP Funding Will Be Needed to Protect Beneficiaries from Rising Energy Prices?
Revised January 18, 2006
Last year, Congress provided nearly $2.2 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP helps very poor households, including many elderly, pay their home heating (and cooling) bills. Most of the assistance prevents heat from being turned off in northern states in the dead of winter, but some also … -
Summary of TANF Work Participation Provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Bill
January 18, 2006
The budget reconciliation bill includes a set of provisions related to TANF and federal child care funding, including changes to TANF work participation rules.[1] This document provides a brief summary and a more detailed explanation of each change. In brief: Effective October 1, 2006, each state would be required to meet a 50 percent participation rate for all families … -
Assessing the Effects of the Budget Conference Agreement on Low-Income Families and Individuals
Revised January 9, 2006
Some Congressional leaders are claiming that the low-income provisions in the conference agreement on the budget reconciliation bill are modest and will not harm vulnerable families. Many of the legislation’s key provisions were altered behind closed doors in weekend negotiations, and the legislation was not released until after 1:00 the morning of December 19, just hours before … -
House Pension Bill Would Make Some 2001 Tax Cuts Permanent For The First Time
Revised January 6, 2006
Pension legislation passed by the House on December 15 contains a series of pension-related tax provisions that raise serious budgetary concerns and pose significant equity issues. The legislation (H.R. 2830, the Pension Protection Act of 2005) contains measures crafted by the Ways and Means Committee that would — for the first time — make permanent some of the tax cuts enacted … -
State Budgets Would Be Squeezed Under Budget Conference Agreement
Revised January 6, 2006
The budget reconciliation conference agreement which passed the Senate would have a significant impact on state budgets. The agreement includes numerous changes to low-income programs in which states share costs with the federal government, such as Medicaid, Child Support Enforcement, and TANF. On the whole, CBO estimates indicate that over the next five years, the loss to states from reductions in … -
What Do the Across the Board Cuts Mean for Domestic Appropriations
Revised January 6, 2006
To comply with budget targets it set last April, Congress cut fiscal year 2006 funding for domestic programs by $9 billion, or 2.3 percent on average, below the 2005 level adjusted for inflation.[1] In addition to the specific cuts or increases contained in the 2006 appropriations bills, which netted to a cut of $9 billion, … -
Why the Application of the Expected Across-the-Board Appropriations Cut to Defense Is Likely To Be Purely Cosmetic
Revised January 6, 2006
Application of the one percent across-the-board appropriations cut to the Defense Department enacted in December is likely to be illusory. Defense funds that are reduced through the across-the-board cut now are likely to be fully restored this spring, when a supplemental appropriation for Iraq is enacted. Based on past Iraq supplementals, the supplemental is likely to be structured in a way that … -
Two Tax Cuts Primarily Benefiting Millionaires Will Start Taking Effect January 1
December 28, 2005
Sometime early next year, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on the budget reconciliation legislation that the Senate passed on December 21 and the House passed in a slightly different version on December 19. That legislation would make significant cuts in a number of programs … -
Congressional Leaders Misrepresent Why Energy Assistance Funds Were Stripped In Senate
December 23, 2005
On Wednesday, December 21, the Senate voted to strip from the conference report on the defense appropriation bill for fiscal year 2006 (H.R. 2863) legislative language that would have opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling. The Senate also voted to strip from the defense appropriation bill an unrelated provision appropriating $2 … -
Congressional Leaders Drop Added Low-Income Energy Assistance
December 22, 2005
Forced to drop a controversial provision authorizing oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) from the defense appropriations bill, Senate leaders also stripped from the bill a provision adding $2 billion in badly needed energy assistance funding this winter for low-income … -
Senate Cuts LIHEAP Funding
December 22, 2005
On Wednesday, December 21, the Senate voted to strip from the conference report on the defense appropriation bill for fiscal year 2006 (H.R. 2863) legislative language that would have opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling. The Senate also voted to strip from the defense appropriation bill an unrelated provision appropriating $2 … -
Budget Agreement Likely To Discourage Charitable Giving By Seniors
December 21, 2005
The conference agreement on the budget reconciliation bill approved by the Senate on December 21 includes changes in Medicaid policy that are likely to have a significant impact on charitable giving by seniors. These changes, in the rules regarding the transfer of assets by individuals who … -
Conference Agreement Imposes Expensive New TANF Requirements On States And Will Result In Loss Of Child Care For Working Poor
Revised December 19, 2005
The conference agreement on the spending reconciliation bill (S. 1932) includes a major restructuring of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) work participation requirements, imposing expensive and unfunded new requirements on states and severely limiting the flexibility they were afforded under the 1996 law that created the TANF block grant. While some … -
Budget Conference Agreement Contains Substantial Cuts Aimed at Low-income Families and Individuals
December 18, 2005
Some are claiming that the conference agreement on the budget reconciliation bill is closer to the Senate-passed bill in the low-income area than to the House bill and does not harm low-income Americans to any significant degree. While some low-income cuts in the House bill have been … -
Funding for Home Heating in Reconciliation Bill? Right Idea, Wrong Vehicle
Revised December 14, 2005
In its most recent energy price forecasts, issued December 6, the Department of Energy projected that natural gas prices would be 44 percent higher this winter than last winter and that the prices of other winter heating fuels would be significantly higher as well. These steep price increases will entail unaffordable increases in heating bills for many … -
Have Domestic Appropriations Exploded?
December 8, 2005
As Congress seeks to complete action on appropriations bills for fiscal year 2006, many Members of Congress seem to be laboring under the impression that appropriations for domestic programs have exploded in recent years. This impression appears to stem, in part, from several releases issued by conservative groups charging that the federal government has … -
House Budget Reconciliation Bill Would Harm People With Disabilities
December 8, 2005
The budget reconciliation bill passed by the House of Representatives on November 18 includes a number of provisions that would adversely affect people with disabilities and their families. These provisions are described briefly below. None of these provisions is included in the Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill. The House bill includes … -
Key Questions for Judging the Outcome of House-Senate Reconciliation Negotiations
December 8, 2005
The House and Senate now are engaged in negotiations over the differences between the budget-cut reconciliation bills the two chambers have passed. Further, negotiations may begin soon over the Senate and House tax reconciliation bills that have also passed in both chambers. In assessing the outcomes of these negotiations, three key questions should be considered. … -
CBO Information Shows Passed House Budget Bill Would Hit the Poor Hard
Revised December 5, 2005
Last night, the House of Representatives narrowly approved a budget reconciliation bill that makes cuts in a number of programs. Information from the Congressional Budget Office shows that many of the cuts would hit low-income people directly and hard, and that these cuts were changed only … -
Cuts in House Budget Bill Aimed at Low-Income Families Reduced By Only Two Percent; 98 Percent of Those Cuts Remain
Revised December 5, 2005
In both the morning and the evening of November 17, House leaders made modifications to the House budget reconciliation bill. Some of these changes were intended to garner support from members of Congress concerned that millions of low-income families would be harshly affected by the bill and forced to shoulder a large share of the bill’s cuts. CBO … -
House Budget Reconciliation Bill Includes Highly Flawed TANF Provisions That Have Repeatedly Failed To Garner Support
Revised November 30, 2005
The budget reconciliation bill that the House passed on November 18, H.R. 4241, includes a set of controversial provisions related to the reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant and the child care block grant. The TANF and child care provisions in the House bill would impose … -
President Bush Embraces House Budget
November 18, 2005
The Administration has now released its official “Statement of Administration Policy” (or SAP) on the budget bill that passed the House of Representatives early this morning.[1] In it, the Administration raises no concerns about any of the cuts in low-income programs contained in the House bill, including cuts that the Administration did … -
House Budget Bill Undermines Goals of Promoting Work and Responsibility
Revised November 8, 2005
Over the past decade, conservatives, among others, have emphasized the importance of work and personal responsibility among low-income families. Many have argued that assistance programs should both reward work and require that parents assume personal responsibility for their families. Yet, the … -
Unshared Sacrifice
Revised November 2, 2005
The eight House Committees charged with making cuts in a wide range of mandatory (or “entitlement”) programs under this year’s budget process have all completed their work. The reconciliation proposals from each committee will be joined into a single bill and will be considered on the House floor next week. The House budget reconciliation bill has been defended as necessary to reduce the … -
What Are The Effects Of Cutting Domestic Appropriations Another Two Percent?
October 31, 2005
To comply with budget targets set by Congress last April, the appropriation bills that the House of Representatives has passed this year have cut fiscal year 2006 funding for domestic programs by $11 billion, or 2.8 percent on average, below the 2005 level adjusted for inflation. Now, Representative Jim Nussle, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, is … -
Impact of Additional Entitlement Cuts: A State-By-State Analysis
October 21, 2005
This paper is no longer current. For information on the House Ways and Means Committee's portion of the budget reconciliation bill and the cuts the bill would make to key low-income programs, including child support, SSI, and foster care, please see: http://www.cbpp.org/10-25-05wel.htm. For information on the House Energy and Commerce … -
Getting Serious About Deficits?
October 6, 2005
Discussions have started in recent days about offsetting some or all of the expenditures that the federal government will need to make for relief and recovery from the recent hurricanes. From the standpoint of safeguarding the nation’s fiscal health, these discussions often seem inconsistent and confused. Many policymakers speak of the need to offset … -
The House Republican Study Committee's Proposals to Offset the Costs of Hurricane Relief
October 5, 2005
On September 21, the Republican Study Committee of the House of Representatives, a group of that chamber’s most conservative Republican members, released a large package of program cuts that it proposes be used to offset the cost of relief and recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.[1] The recognition that deficits are a problem is welcome, and some of the cuts proposed by the RSC should be … -
Statement on Proposed Katrina-Relief Budget Package Presented by Republican Study Committee
September 21, 2005
Today the Republican Study Committee of the House of Representatives released a package of proposed program cuts the Committee says could be used to offset the cost of relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. While it includes some proposals that should be considered as part of any effort to … -
Another Round of Economic Stimulus?
Revised September 20, 2005
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, some have suggested that Congress enact broad-based federal legislation to stimulate the national economy. Such a course would be ill-advised; Congress should focus instead on immediate reconstruction of the devastated areas and relief for the victims of Katrina. In addition to being necessary for the … -
Katrina Relief and Federal Spending and Deficits
Revised September 19, 2005
Some conservative lawmakers and pundits are arguing that while the funding for relief and recovery efforts from the hurricane may be money that the nation has to spend, the costs will swell federal spending to dangerous and unprecedented levels. This claim is being used both to advance calls for sharp cuts in other domestic programs — in order to … -
Reconciliation Bills Would Increase the Deficit and Favor the Well-Off
September 8, 2005
As a result of the need to devote attention to legislation dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Congressional leaders apparently plan to delay scheduled action on reconciliation legislation (the deadline for committees to act on the first of two reconciliation bills was September 16) by two or three weeks. As Congressional committees strive later … -
Statement of Robert Greenstein on Challenges Facing Congress and the Nation in the Wake of the Devastation of Hurricane Katrina
September 6, 2005
Our thoughts and prayers are with the many people and communities devastated by the tragedy in the Gulf Coast. The nation’s first priority must be to provide food, shelter, medical attention, and other needed assistance to those left homeless by this catastrophe. As Congress returns, … -
Assessing the Conference Agreement on the Budget Resolution
Revised May 6, 2005
House and Senate Republican conferees have reached agreement on a Congressional budget resolution for fiscal year 2006. The conference agreement calls for significant cuts in domestic programs — both entitlement and annually appropriated (so-called discretionary) programs — over the next five years. But … -
Despite Claims By its Supporters, Congressional Budget Plan Increases the Deficit
April 29, 2005
Proponents of the conference report on the Congressional budget resolution recently adopted by the House and Senate have claimed that the resolution reduces the deficit over the next five years. They have used this purported "deficit reduction" to justify the resolution's $35 billion in entitlement cuts over … -
Statement by Robert Greenstein Executive Director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, on the Budget Resolution Conference Agreement
April 28, 2005
Rather than produce a balanced plan to reduce the deficit, House and Senate Republican negotiators have reached an agreement on a budget that increases the deficit and pairs more tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans with cuts in programs for the neediest and most vulnerable of our citizens. The … -
House Budget Resolution Would Require Much Deeper Cuts in Key Low-Income Programs than Senate Budget Plan
Revised April 7, 2005
The budget resolutions passed by the House and Senate in mid-March differ sharply in the size of their cuts in key “mandatory” (or “entitlement”) programs that assist low-income families with children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The House Budget Resolution calls for an estimated $30 … -
Assessing The Budget Proposal Adopted By The Senate
Revised April 1, 2005
This brief analysis examines the budget proposal adopted by the Senate on March 17. While the proposal calls for substantial reductions in many domestic programs, it nonetheless would increase the deficit by $217 billion over the next five years, due in part to its emphasis on further tax cuts. Amendments adopted … -
With Bunning Amendment, Senate Budget Would Move Up Medicare Insolvency By Four Years and Increase Deficits By More Than $200 Billion
March 18, 2005
An amendment to the budget that the Senate adopted March 17 would move up by four years — to 2016 — the point at which the Medicare Hospital Insurance program becomes insolvent. With passage of the amendment, the final budget plan the Senate approved would increase deficits by $217 billion over five years. The … -
Cuts to Low-Income Programs May Far Exceed the Contribution of These Programs to Deficit’s Return
Revised February 9, 2005
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Did the Appropriations Bill Provide a Sufficient Increase in Low-Income Energy Assistance to Cover Spiraling Home Heating Costs?
Revised November 23, 2004
Because of large increases in home heating costs in recent months, the funding level that Congress provided for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) [1] in the recently enacted omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2005 is not sufficient to cover the expected large increases in home heating costs. Many … -
War and Anti-Terrorism Spending or Rampant Growth In Domestic Programs
February 1, 2004
“[C]onservatives have complained about the 31.5 percent growth in discretionary spending since Bush took office. [1] …the conservative Heritage Foundation's analyst said that "no matter how you massage the numbers it's still a 27 percent increase in two years."… [He] said that with enactment of the FY04 omnibus, outlays would …
