CBPP: Abandoning Bipartisan Approach of Providing Equal Relief from Tight Funding Limits, House Republicans Boosting Defense Substantially, Cutting Non-Defense

[Tiffany Kaszuba]

Good Evening NDD United,

 

Please see the statement below from our friends at CBPP regarding the NDD funding levels as indicated by Appropriators, despite the passage of a budget.

 

Have a great night! J

 

Best,

Tiffany Kaszuba, MBA

Vice President

Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates

600 Maryland Avenue, SW

Suite 835W

Washington, DC 20024

P: 202.484.1100 ext. 124

F: 202.484.1244

E: tkas...@dc-crd.com

 

Please visit our website and blog at www.dc-crd.com

 

 

 

 

 

Abandoning Bipartisan Approach of Providing Equal Relief from Tight Funding Limits, House Republicans Boosting Defense Substantially, Cutting Non-Defense

 

“House Republicans are proposing to treat defense and non-defense discretionary (NDD) programs in a way that would fundamentally alter one of the few areas of bipartisan consensus in recent years, to the detriment of already hard-hit non-defense programs.  For several years running, Republican and Democratic policymakers have agreed that the 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA) imposed funding limits that were too tight for both defense and non-defense programs, and agreed to provide equal amounts of relief for both categories.  But for 2018, House Republicans are proposing to increase defense funding by $72 billion while cutting NDD funding by $5 billion, relative to their BCA limits.  The House Appropriations Committee is advancing legislation consistent with these figures, even though the House has yet to adopt a budget.

 

The BCA funding constraints have already produced deep and painful cuts to a wide range of important NDD programs.  NDD funds key investments, including education, medical research, infrastructure, and other programs that help fuel economic growth and raise future living standards, as well as an array of vital public services such as rental assistance, child care subsidies, food safety, veterans’ health care, and environmental protection.

 

Further, the House GOP’s proposed funding reduction for most NDD programs is much larger than commonly understood.  Relative to 2017, NDD programs outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (which is part of the non-defense budget and has already received a funding increase for 2018) would be cut by $22 billion after adjusting for inflation.  These programs would fall to more than one-fifth below their 2010 level, after adjusting for inflation.”

 

 

Read the full paper here: https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/abandoning-bipartisan-approach-of-providing-equal-relief-from-tight-funding