BEYOND THE NUMBERS
Tweet Chat: Q & A About Non-Defense Discretionary Funding
We co-hosted a tweet chat today with NDD United about the tight annual caps on funding for non-defense discretionary programs, and how the caps make it hard to meet a broad array of national needs.
CBPP’s Joel Friedman and David Reich answered questions during the chat, including the following:
Q1 What are the Budget Control Act (BCA) caps? #RaiseTheCaps.
— NDD United (@NDDUnited) October 6, 2015
A1: Strict limits on total defense and non-defense appropriations set in advance in 2011 for each year from 2012 to 2021. #RaiseTheCaps.
— Center on Budget (@CenterOnBudget) October 6, 2015
Q2. What is sequestration? #RaiseTheCaps.
— NDD United (@NDDUnited) October 6, 2015
A2a. Sequestration refers to the additional cuts the BCA imposed because Congress couldn’t agree on a deficit-reduction plan. #RaiseTheCaps.
— Center on Budget (@CenterOnBudget) October 6, 2015
Q3 What programs are subject to the Non-Defense cap? #RaiseTheCaps.
— NDD United (@NDDUnited) October 6, 2015
A3a Science, medical research, national parks, environmental protection, housing aid, support for local schools, & lots more. #RaiseTheCaps.
— Center on Budget (@CenterOnBudget) October 6, 2015
Q6. What is the cumulative effect of these cuts since '10, when policymakers started to pursue deficit reduction? #RaiseTheCaps.
— NDD United (@NDDUnited) October 6, 2015
A6a. Funding will have been flat or shrinking in every year but 1 since '10. That ignores effects of inflation & pop growth. #RaiseTheCaps.
— Center on Budget (@CenterOnBudget) October 6, 2015
Q7. What has happened to federal support for education under the caps? #RaiseTheCaps.
— NDD United (@NDDUnited) October 6, 2015
A7a Federal support for preschool and K-12 education has already shrunk 13% since 2010, adjusted for inflation. #RaiseTheCaps.
— Center on Budget (@CenterOnBudget) October 6, 2015
A7b: 2016 approps bills now pending would deepen the cuts to 20% (House version) or 17% (Senate). #RaisetheCaps pic.twitter.com/x6FVCxzQw7
— Center on Budget (@CenterOnBudget) October 6, 2015
Q11. What should Congress and the President do about the caps and sequestration? #RaiseTheCaps.
— NDD United (@NDDUnited) October 6, 2015
A11b: It’s been done twice before, '13 & '14-'15 w/ bipartisan support. #RaisetheCaps
— Center on Budget (@CenterOnBudget) October 6, 2015
Learn more about sequestration and its impact on non-defense appropriations here, and read the full tweet chat at #RaisetheCaps.
