Follow us on

Sunday, May 19, 2013 | 4:45 a.m.

Jamie Dupree's Washington Insider

Posted: 8:29 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011

Spending Cut Plan 

Previous Posts

By Jamie Dupree

Conservative Republicans in the House rolled out plans for over $2 trillion in budget cuts over the next ten years, setting down a marker for GOP leaders - and Democrats - on spending.

The cuts include a very familiar roster of programs which have long been targeted by Republicans in the Congress, such as money for Amtrak, the National Endowment for the Arts, public broadcasting and more.

"Our job is to do what we told the voters were were going to do," said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who heads the Republican Study Committee in the House.

"We believe it's right to cut spending," Jordan told reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference.

So far, Republican leaders in the House have not issued their own plans for spending cuts, which many in the GOP want to push through before a vote on increasing the nation's debt limit occurs, likely in March.

Top Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee also haven't spelled out their game plan on the budget.  A temporary spending plan for the federal government runs out on March 4, which means some action seems likely before then on budget cuts.

Obviously, no matter what Republicans agree to in the House, getting a package of cutbacks through the Senate won't be as easy, but GOP lawmakers say they'll worry about that later.

"We're looking for every place and any place to save money," Jordan added.

Here is the list of what the Republican Study Committee identified in terms of cuts:

ØFY 2011 CR Amendment:  Replace the spending levels in the FY 2011 continuing resolution (CR) with non-defense, non-homeland security, non-veterans spending at FY 2008 levels.  The legislation will further prohibit any FY 2011 funding from being used to carry out any provision of the Democrat government takeover of health care, or to defend the health care law against any lawsuit challenging any provision of the act.  $80 billion savings.  

ØDiscretionary Spending Limit, FY 2012-2021:  Eliminate automatic increases for inflation from CBO baseline projections for future discretionary appropriations.  Further, impose discretionary spending limits through 2021 at 2006 levels on the non-defense portion of the discretionary budget.  $2.29 trillion savings over ten years.  

ØFederal Workforce Reforms:  Eliminate automatic pay increases for civilian federal workers for five years.  Additionally, cut the civilian workforce by a total of 15 percent through attrition.  Allow the hiring of only one new worker for every two workers who leave federal employment until the reduction target has been met. (Savings included in above discretionary savings figure).

Ø"Stimulus" Repeal:  Eliminate all remaining "stimulus" funding.  $45 billion total savings.   

ØEliminate federal control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  $30 billion total savings.   

ØRepeal the Medicaid FMAP increase in the "State Bailout" (Senate amendments to S. 1586).  $16.1 billion total savings.   

ØMore than 100 specific program eliminations and spending reductions listed below:   $330 billion savings over ten years (included in above discretionary savings figure). 

 

 

Additional Program Eliminations/Spending Reforms

ØCorporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy.  $445 million annual savings.  

ØSave America's Treasures Program.  $25 million annual savings.  

ØInternational Fund for Ireland.  $17 million annual savings.  

ØLegal Services Corporation.  $420 million annual savings.   

ØNational Endowment for the Arts.  $167.5 million annual savings.  

ØNational Endowment for the Humanities.  $167.5 million annual savings. 

ØHope VI Program.  $250 million annual savings.  

ØAmtrak Subsidies.  $1.565 billion annual savings.  

ØEliminate duplicative education programs. H.R. 2274 (in last Congress), authored by Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 at a savings of $1.3 billion annually. 

ØU.S. Trade Development Agency.  $55 million annual savings.  

ØWoodrow Wilson Center Subsidy.  $20 million annual savings. 

ØCut in half funding for congressional printing and binding.  $47 million annual savings.  

ØJohn C. Stennis Center Subsidy.  $430,000 annual savings.


ØCommunity Development Fund.  $4.5 billion annual savings. 

ØHeritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid.  $24 million annual savings. 

ØCut Federal Travel Budget in Half.  $7.5 billion annual savings.  

ØTrim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20%.  $600 million annual savings. 

ØEssential Air Service.  $150 million annual savings.  

ØTechnology Innovation Program.  $70 million annual savings.  

ØManufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program.  $125 million annual savings.  

ØDepartment of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization.  $530 million annual savings.  

ØBeach Replenishment.  $95 million annual savings. 

ØNew Starts Transit.  $2 billion annual savings. 

ØExchange Programs for Alaska, Natives Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners in Massachusetts.  $9 million annual savings. 

ØIntercity and High Speed Rail Grants.  $2.5 billion annual savings.  

ØTitle X Family Planning.  $318 million annual savings.  

ØAppalachian Regional Commission.  $76 million annual savings.  

ØEconomic Development Administration.  $293 million annual savings. 

ØPrograms under the National and Community Services Act.  $1.15 billion annual savings.  

ØApplied Research at Department of Energy.  $1.27 billion annual savings. 

ØFreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership.  $200 million annual savings. 

ØEnergy Star Program.  $52 million annual savings.  

ØEconomic Assistance to Egypt.    $250 million annually. 

ØU.S. Agency for International Development.  $1.39 billion annual savings.  

ØGeneral Assistance to District of Columbia.  $210 million annual savings. 

ØSubsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.  $150 million annual savings. 

ØPresidential Campaign Fund.  $775 million savings over ten years.    

ØNo funding for federal office space acquisition. $864 million annual savings.

ØEnd prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.  

ØRepeal the Davis-Bacon Act. More than $1 billion annually. 

ØIRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for some services it offers (such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of allowing it to remain as part of its budget.  $1.8 billion savings over ten years.  

ØRequire collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees.  $1 billion total savings. 

ØProhibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees.  $1.2 billion savings over ten years.   

ØSell excess federal properties the government does not make use of.  $15 billion total savings. 

ØEliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress. 

ØEliminate Mohair Subsidies.  $1 million annual savings.

ØEliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.  $12.5 million annual savings.   

ØEliminate Market Access Program. $200 million annual savings.   

ØUSDA Sugar Program. $14 million annual savings.   

ØSubsidy to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  $93 million annual savings.

ØEliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program.  $56.2 million annual savings.

ØEliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs.  $900 million savings.  

ØReady to Learn TV Program.  $27 million savings.  

ØHUD Ph.D. Program.  

ØDeficit Reduction Check-Off Act.


 
Featured Articles
Ads By Google
 
March 2013 Photo Winner - Abbey Wyatt

iW7 April 2013 Photo of the Month Vote

It's time to vote on your photos for the iWitness7 Photo of the Month for April. Voting lasts until May 23.

5-day text alerts

Get your 5-day forecast on the go!

Sign up to receive your daily 5-day forecast text alert from WHIO-TV and Storm Center 7.

iWitness7 Photos