*Key Resources on Chairman Murray's FY14 Budget Proposal*‏

All –

Heading into Sunday, wanted to provide some key resources and topline figures on the Murray Budget.  Perhaps one of the most pertinent findings is that, if enacted, the Murray Budget, following four straight years of trillion-dollar-plus deficits, would spike federal spending by $162 billion next year alone.

The contents of Chairman Murray’s proposal make it clear why Senate Democrats were unwilling to lay out a budget proposal for so long: what they present cannot be defended.  They didn’t offer a different way to get to a common goal, they offered no way at all.  In the words of the Washington Post “this document gives voters no reason to believe that Democrats have a viable plan for — or even a responsible public assessment of — the country’s long-term fiscal predicament”  Or, as Ranking Member Sessions asked, in amazement, “Is it really possible that after four years, the majority has failed to identify any reforms? That all we have is just a tax-and-spend budget that makes no alteration to our dangerous debt course? Does the majority believe the government is perfect and requires no reform?”

TOPLINE FIGURES

New debt over ten years: $7.3 trillion (despite massive tax hike)

Spending increase above projected growth over ten years: $645 billion

Spending increase next year above today’s budget levels: $162 billion

Deficit increase next year (relative to FY14 projections): $95 billion

Growth rate in federal budget over ten years: 60 percent

Growth rate in means-tested spending over ten years: 80 percent

Net deficit reduction: $279 billion

Deficit reduction achieved through spending cuts: zero

Improvement to our long-term debt trajectory: none

Date budget balances: never

KEY RESOURCES

Explanation of how the Majority’s proposal would raise taxes $1.5 trillion: http://budget.senate.gov/republican/public/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=15a25e7c-4a55-43c8-95fe-305354a59085&SK=F08886EB8870376A298D4DE369961D5C

Associated Press explains how the Murray Budget increases spending: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/health_care/ryans-new-budget-like-the-old-goes-after-obama-programs-he-says-it-would-lead-to-balance/2013/03/12/2bf2934c-8b74-11e2-af15-99809eaba6cb_story.html

Budget Committee Minority’s topline summary of the Murray Budget: http://www.budget.senate.gov/republican/public/index.cfm/budget-background?ID=c40b04a6-0680-43ca-8f96-f33ef485af37

Budget Committee doc unraveling the Majority’s gimmicks: http://www.budget.senate.gov/republican/public/index.cfm/budget-background?ID=1624b3a0-f5e9-4fb1-a9e8-9f7330957d14

During markup Sessions was able to get the Majority to effectively acknowledge that their advertises budget figures were inflated by manipulating the baseline.  Due to the elimination of BCA savings, the Majority’s claim of $1.85 trillion in deficit reduction is a fabrication (as is the claim of a net spending cut).  It is essentially impossible, after watching these exchanges, not to arrive at the same factual conclusion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoRXTD2llP8 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7bePWCRxsg&list=UUvnFl66TttbZXCcXoeOhg-g&index=2

Several other seminal events occurred during the markup that were remarkably revealing.  Here you can watch the Committee’s Democrat panel voting in lock step against balancing the federal budget  — including a proposal that would allow the budget to be balanced through any policy prescription: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdGh7SITdqw&list=UUvnFl66TttbZXCcXoeOhg-g&index=3 The Majority panel demonstrated the depth of its unwillingness to impose any reforms on government when they would not even cut back on USDA’s long-running food stamp promotions on foreign consular offices: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VCG2RJKrWw&list=UUvnFl66TttbZXCcXoeOhg-g&index=1

Senator Sessions summarized his concerns at the conclusion of the markup:  “I remain astonished that, after four years, the majority would identify no savings, no reforms, and make no attempt to make government leaner, more efficient, or more productive. Just tax-and-spend.  What is particularly troubling is that the majority shields from accountability government programs that are failing those who need our help the most. There is nothing compassionate about shielding from reform a stale federal bureaucracy that is trapping millions of people in poverty and denying them the opportunity they need and deserve. The Murray budget enriches the bureaucracy at the expense of the people.” http://www.budget.senate.gov/republican/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=1cc2262c-a337-4440-9dc9-8d785e6324d1

State-by-state  impact of the Murray Budget: http://budget.senate.gov/republican/public/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=0a1bbd21-adbd-4763-b961-2b6a16a1ef5f&SK=BABA6C1A6675E293BB32B083D6BB6990

STEPHEN MILLER

REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

UNITED STATES SENATE

COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET

202-228-0575