Budget — Federal
Sequestration Would Not Be Tougher on
Defense Than Non-Defense Programs in 2014
"[P]olicymakers should resist calls to provide relief from sequestration only to defense programs; any relief should also include increased funding for non-defense discretionary programs, adhering to the BCA’s core principle of maintaining parity in sequestration cuts between defense and non-defense." Read more
Averting a Budget Crisis Is Not Enough
Beyond avoiding default and a government shutdown, four criteria should be used to evaluate proposals to resolve the pending budget issues:
- Do they strengthen the economic recovery?
- Do they protect low-income Americans and avoid increasing poverty and hardship?
- Do they permit adequate investment in core public services?
- Do they reflect a balanced approach, both between budget cuts and revenue increases and between defense and non-defense funding?
Related:
- Cuts in House Leadership SNAP Proposal Would Affect Millions of Low-Income Americans
- Timing Gimmicks Pose Threat to Fiscally Responsible Tax Reform
- The Perils of Achieving Further Deficit Reduction Solely Through Spending Cuts
- The Next Act: Further Deficit Reduction Must Include a Mix of Revenues and Spending Cuts
- How Much Deficit Reduction Is Needed Over the Coming Decade? Total Amount and Path of Savings Are Both Important
- Long-Term Budget Outlook Remains Challenging, But Recent Legislation Has Made It More Manageable
- Senate Appropriations Allocations for 2014 Reflect Better Approach Than House Plan
- Commentary: Why Balancing the Budget by the End of the Decade Is Not the Right Goal
Basics
The federal budget outlines the U.S. government’s spending plans for the coming fiscal year and how it plans to pay for that spending. The three biggest areas of federal spending in 2010 were defense and security, Social Security, and public health insurance programs, each of which made up roughly one-fifth of the budget. Roughly four-fifths of the revenue that the federal government collected to pay for these programs came from individuals, through income and payroll taxes.
Policy Basics:
- Where Do Our Tax Dollars Go?
- Introduction to the Federal Budget Process
- Deficits, Debt, and Interest
- Non-Defense Discretionary Programs
Featured Experts
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Jared Bernstein
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Joel Friedman
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Robert Greenstein
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James Horney
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Chye-Ching Huang
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Richard Kogan
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Chuck Marr
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Sharon Parrott
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Kathy Ruffing
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Paul Van de Water
The Center informs the debate over federal budget priorities by analyzing the President’s budget and major congressional proposals throughout the annual budget process. We pay particular attention to the adequacy of funding for programs that assist low- and moderate-income families. We also analyze long-term budget challenges and measures to address them. In addition, we promote measures to improve fiscal responsibility.
New
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Off the Charts Blog: House Republicans Continue to Use Temporary Funding Bill to Attack Health Reform
September 30, 2013
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Testimony of Chad Stone, Chief Economist, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Before the Senate Committee on Budget
September 24, 2013
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Clearing Up Misunderstandings: Sequestration Would Not Be Tougher on Defense Than Non-Defense Programs in 2014
September 18, 2013
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Averting a Budget Crisis Is Not Enough: Criteria for Evaluating Fall Budget Proposals
September 10, 2013
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Renters’ Tax Credit Would Promote Equity and Advance Balanced Housing Policy
Revised August 21, 2013
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By the Numbers
