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REDUCING THE DEFICIT:
SPENDING AND REVENUE OPTIONS
 
 
February 1995
 
 
NOTES

Unless otherwise indicated, all years referred to in this report are fiscal years.

Numbers in the text and tables of this report may not add to totals because of rounding.

 
 
Preface

This volume compiles more than 200 specific policy options for increasing federal revenues or reducing spending in a wide variety of federal programs. This is the 16th such compendium that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has prepared as part of its annual report to the House and Senate Committees on the Budget. Over the years, this report has become a standard reference for developing deficit reduction plans.

The 216 specific policy options included in this report come from many sources, and most have been considered by the Congress at some time in the past. In accordance with CBO's mandate to provide objective and impartial analysis, the discussion of each option presents the cases for and against it as fairly as possible. CBO does not endorse the options included, nor does exclusion of any proposal imply a recommendation.

The report begins with an introductory chapter that provides general background information on CBO's latest deficit projections and explains how to use the options presented in this volume. The next three chapters present 177 options for reducing spending, organized by broad categories that have become the focus for deficit reduction efforts-defense and international discretionary spending, domestic discretionary spending, and entitlements and other mandatory spending. The last chapter presents 39 revenue-generating options. The report concludes with an appendix listing the spending options by the budget functions that would be affected and a glossary of budget and economic terms.

The economic assumptions and baseline budget projections underlying the estimates of spending reductions and revenue increases contained in this volume are described in more detail in the first volume of CBO's annual report, The Economic and Budget Outlook: Fiscal Years 1996-2000 (January 1995).

All divisions of the Congressional Budget Office contributed to this report, which was coordinated by James L. Blum. Philip Joyce prepared Chapter 1. The options presented in Chapters 2 through 5 were coordinated by Mark B. Booth, David H. Moore, R. Mark Musell, Constance Rhind, and R. William Thomas. Budget authority and outlay estimates were coordinated by Paul R. Cullinan, Peter H. Fontaine, Michael A. Miller, William P. Myers, and Murray N. Ross. Revenue estimates were prepared by the staffs of the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation and were reviewed by the Tax Analysis Division of CBO under the supervision of Rosemary D. Marcuss.

Paul L. Houts and Sherry Snyder supervised the editing and production of the report. Major portions were edited by Paul L. Houts, Sherry Snyder, Sherwood D. Kohn, and Leah Mazade. Christian Spoor provided editorial assistance during production. The authors owe special thanks to Mary Braxton, Cynthia Cleveland, Sharon Corbin-Jallow, Marlies Dunson, Denise Jordan, Simone Thomas, and Donna Wood, who typed the many drafts. John McCarty and Kathryn Quattrone prepared the report for publication.

Robert D. Reischauer
Director
February 1995
 
 


Contents
 
ONE - USING THIS VOLUME'S OPTIONS FOR DEFICIT REDUCTION
  • The Budget Outlook Through 2005
  • Balancing the Budget by 2002
  • How to Use This Report
  • What Is Not Included in These Options
TWO - DEFENSE AND INTERNATIONAL DISCRETIONARY SPENDING
  • The National Defense Budget
  • The International Affairs Budget
Strategic Systems
DEF-01 Reduce Nuclear Delivery Systems Within Overall Limits of START II
DEF-02 Terminate Production of D5 Missiles After 1996
DEF-03 Reduce the Scope of DOE's Stockpile Stewardship Program
DEF-04 Focus Theater Missile Defense Efforts on Core Systems
 
Navy and Marine Corps Programs
DEF-05 Reduce the Number of Aircraft Carriers and Air Wings to 10
DEF-06 Cancel Procurement of the Third Seawolf Submarine
DEF-07 Eliminate Frigates from the Naval Force
DEF-08 Reduce Procurement of DDG-51 Destroyers
DEF-09 Cancel the Upgrade of the Navy's F/A-18 Fighter and Buy the Current Model
DEF-10 Cancel the Marine Corps's V-22 Aircraft Program and Buy CH-53E Helicopters
 
Air Force Programs
DEF-11 Reduce Air Force Tactical Forces
DEF-12 Cancel the Air Force's F-22 Aircraft Program
DEF-13 Buy No More Than 40 C-17s and Buy Commercial Airlifters Instead
DEF-14 Retire Excess KC-135 Tankers
DEF-15 Make the Army Responsible for Close Air Support
DEF-16 Freeze Funding for Military Space Programs
 
Army Programs
DEF-17 Reduce the Number of Army Light Divisions
DEF-18 Cancel the Army's Tank Upgrade Program and Lay Away Production Facilities
 
Other Investment
DEF-19 Cut Spending for Dual-Use Technology Programs to Historical Levels
 
Military Personnel
DEF-20 Reduce the Basic Allowance for Subsistence of Enlisted Personnel
DEF-21 Restructure Officer Accession Programs
DEF-22 Restructure the Bonus Program for Pilots
DEF-23 Restructure Reserve Compensation
DEF-24 Deny Unemployment Compensation to Service Members Who Voluntarily Leave Military Service
 
Military Health Care
DEF-25 Close the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
DEF-26 Adopt HMO Staffing Patterns in Military Medical Facilities
DEF-27 Revise Cost Sharing for Military Health Care Benefits
 
Operation and Maintenance
DEF-28 Consolidate Pilot Training and Delay Buying the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System
DEF-29 Reduce Funding for Defense Environmental Programs
DEF-30 Reduce Funding for DOE's Cleanup Program
DEF-31 Increase Reliance on Private-Sector Housing for Military Families
DEF-32 Eliminate Federal Support of Commissaries
DEF-33 Reduce the DoD Civilian Acquisition Workforce
DEF-34 Encourage Private Ownership of Industrial Assets Used in Defense Production
 
International Programs
DEF-35 Recover the Full Cost of Military Exports
DEF-36 Cease Supporting Multilateral Development Banks
DEF-37 Eliminate Overseas Broadcasting and Reduce Exchange Programs
DEF-3 8 Reduce Eximbank's Credit Assistance
DEF-39 Reduce State Department Funding and Eliminate Miscellaneous Foreign Affairs Activities
DEF-40 Reduce Development Assistance
DEF-41 Eliminate P.L. 480 Title I Sales and Title III Grants
 
THREE - DOMESTIC DISCRETIONARY SPENDING
  • Other Pressures
  • Rationales For and Against Spending Reductions
  • Process and Presentation
Science and Space
DOM-01 Cancel the International Space Station Program
DOM-02 Scale Back and Delay NASA's Earth Observation System
 
Energy
DOM-03 Reduce Department of Energy Funding for Energy Technology Development Efforts
DOM-04 Eliminate Further Funding for the Clean Coal Technology Program
DOM-05 Eliminate the Department of Energy's Precollege Education Program
DOM-06 Eliminate Energy Conservation Grant Programs
DOM-07 Sell the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
DOM-08 Allow Private Producers to Build and Operate Cogeneration Facilities at Federal Civilian Installations
DOM-09 Eliminate Electrification and Telephone Credit Subsidies Provided by the Rural Utilities Service
 
Natural Resources and Environment
DOM-10 Eliminate Below-Cost Timber Sales from National Forests
DOM-11 Reduce Bureau of Mines Funding for Mining and Related Technology Development Efforts
DOM-12 Eliminate Federal Grants for Water Infrastructure Programs
DOM-13 De-Emphasize Permanence in Superfund Cleanups; Emphasize Land Use in Choosing Cleanup Levels
DOM-14 Impose a Five-Year Moratorium on Land Purchases by the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior
 
Agriculture
DOM-15 Reduce Federal Support for Agricultural Research and Extension Activities
DOM-16 Reduce Department of Agriculture Spending for Export Marketing and International Activities
DOM-17 Reduce Loans Made by the Farmers Home Administration for Farm Ownership and Operations
 
Credit and Commerce
DOM-18 End Small Business Administration Loans and Loan Guarantees
DOM-19 Eliminate the Small Business Administration's Tree Planting Program
DOM-20 Reduce the Budget of the Export Administration
DOM-21 Eliminate the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration and the Trade Promotion Activities of the International Trade Administration, or Charge the Beneficiaries
DOM-22 Eliminate the Advanced Technology Program
 
Transportation
DOM-23 Reduce Federal Aid for Mass Transit
DOM-24 Eliminate Airport Grants-in-Aid
DOM-25 Eliminate the Essential Air Service Program
DOM-26 Abolish the Interstate Commerce Commission
DOM-27 Eliminate Funding for Highway Demonstration Projects
DOM-28 Eliminate the Operating Subsidy for Amtrak
DOM-29 Eliminate the Local Rail Freight Assistance Program
DOM-30 Eliminate NASA's Support for Producers of Commercial Airliners
 
Community and Regional Development
DOM-31 Eliminate Certain Rural Development Programs
DOM-32 Eliminate the Economic Development Administration
DOM-33 Eliminate the Appalachian Regional Commission
DOM-34 Eliminate or Restrict Community Development Block Grants
DOM-35 Eliminate Federal Support for Tennessee Valley Authority Activities
DOM-36 Consolidate Area Offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
 
Education. Training. Employment, and Social Services
DOM-37 Eliminate Funding to School Districts for Impact Aid
DOM-38 Eliminate Ancillary Vocational Education Programs
DOM-39 Eliminate 30 Small Grant Programs in the Department of Education
DOM-40 Reduce Funding for Elementary and Secondary Education Programs
DOM-41 Eliminate State Student Incentive Grants
DOM-42 Eliminate Federal Funding for Campus-Based Student Aid
DOM-43 Reduce Funding for the Job Training Partnership Act's Youth Training Program
DOM-44 Eliminate the Senior Community Service Employment Program
DOM-45 Consolidate Social Service Programs and Reduce Their Budgets
DOM-46 Eliminate or Reduce Funding for the Arts and Humanities
 
Health
DOM-47 Reduce the Maternal and Child Health Care Block Grant and the Preventive Health Services Block Grant
DOM-48 Eliminate Subsidies for Health Professions Education
DOM-49 Reduce Funding for Research Supported by the National Institutes of Health
DOM-50 Limit the Government's Share of the Cost for the FEHB Program to a Fixed Amount per Employee
 
Income Security
DOM-51 Reduce Federal Rent Subsidies by Shifting Some Costs to Tenants or the States
DOM-52 Stop Expansion of the Number of Rental Assistance Commitments
DOM-53 Shift Rental Housing Assistance from New Construction to Vouchers
DOM-54 Eliminate or Scale Back Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
 
Veterans Benefits and Services
DOM-55   Close or Convert Inefficient or Underused Facilities in Veterans' Hospitals
 
Administration of Justice
DOM-56 Revise the Mandatory Sentencing System for Some Nonviolent Federal Crimes
DOM-57 Eliminate Certain Crime Prevention Programs Authorized in the 1994 Crime Bill
DOM-58 Reduce Funding for Law Enforcement Efforts to Control Illegal Drugs
DOM-59 Reduce Funding for Justice Assistance and Certain Justice-Related Activities
 
General Government, Allowances, and Multifunction Options
DOM-60 Limit Salary Increases for Federal Civilian Employees
DOM-61 Reduce the Number of Political Appointees
DOM-62 Eliminate the One-Dollar Bill and Replace It with aNew Dollar Coin
DOM-63 Reduce the Overhead Rate on Federally Sponsored University Research
DOM-64 Reduce Spending for the High Performance Computing and Communications Program
DOM-65 Modify the Service Contract Act by Eliminating the Successorship Provision
DOM-66 Repeal or Modify the Davis-Bacon Act
 
FOUR - ENTITLEMENTS AND OTHER MANDATORY SPENDING
  • Factors Underlying the Growth in Mandatory Spending
  • The Balanced Budget Act
  • Program Trends and Options
Energy
ENT-01 Charge Market Prices for Electricity Sold by Power Marketing Administrations
 
Natural Resources and Environment
ENT-02 Improve Pricing for Commercial and Recreational Uses of Public Lands
ENT-03 Change the Revenue-Sharing Formula from a Gross-Receipt to a Net-Receipt Basis for Commercial Activities on Federal Lands
ENT-04 Index Nuclear Waste Disposal Fees for Inflation; Eliminate the Deferred Payment Option
ENT-05 Charge Royalties for Hardrock Mining on Federal Lands
 
Agriculture
ENT-06 Reduce Deficiency Payments to Farmers Participating in USDA Commodity Programs by Lowering Target Prices
ENT-07 Eliminate the 0/85-92 and 50/85-92 Programs for Participants in USDA Commodity Programs
ENT-08 Raise the Proportion of Each Farmer's Base Acreage Ineligible for Deficiency Payments
ENT-09 Restrict Eligibility for Benefits from Price Support Programs and Reduce the Payment Limitation
ENT-10 Reduce Loan Guarantees Made Under the USDA's Export Credit Programs by Eliminating Guarantees for Loans to High-Risk Borrowers
ENT-11 Eliminate the Export Enhancement Program
ENT-12 Eliminate the Market Promotion Program
ENT-13 Reduce Costs for the Dairy Price Support Program by Increasing Producer Contributions
ENT-14 Reform Milk Marketing Orders
ENT-15 Increase Producer Assessments to Participants in Federal Programs Supporting Prices of Sugar, Peanuts, and Tobacco
ENT-16 Allow Haying or Grazing on Land in Annual Set-Asides and in the Long-Term Conservation Reserve Program
 
Commerce
ENT-17 Increase FCC User Fees
ENT-18 Charge a User Fee on Commodity Futures and Options Contract Transactions
ENT-19 Eliminate the Flood Insurance Subsidy on Pre-FIRM Structures
ENT-20 Broaden and Extend the FCC's Authority to Use Auctions to Assign Licenses to Use the Radio Spectrum
 
Transportation
ENT-21 Establish Charges for Airport Takeoff and Landing Slots
ENT-22 Establish User Fees for Air Traffic Control Services
ENT-23 Impose User Fees on the Inland Waterway System
ENT-24 Increase User Fees for General Aviation
 
Education
ENT-25 Reduce Subsidies for Student Loans
ENT-26 Reduce Stafford Loan Spending by Including Home Equity in the Determination of Financial Need and Modifying the Simplified Needs Test
 
Health
ENT-27 Increase User Fees on Products Regulated by the FDA
ENT-28 Limit the Growth of Foster Care Administrative Costs to 10 Percent a Year
ENT-29 Reduce the 50 Percent Floor on the Federal Share of Medicaid, AFDC, Foster Care, and Adoption Assistance Payments
ENT-30 Reduce Matching Rates for Administrative Costs in the Medicaid, Foster Care, and Adoption Assistance Programs
ENT-31 Restrict the Income Criteria That States May Use to Establish Medicaid Eligibility for Children and Pregnant Women
ENT-32 Make Capitation Payments to the States for Medicaid Services
 
Medicare
ENT-33 Freeze Medicare's Prospective Payment System Rates for One Year
ENT-34 Eliminate the Disproportionate Share Adjustment for Hospitals in Medicare's Prospective Payment System
ENT-35 Reduce Medicare's Payments for the Indirect Costs of Patient Care That Are Related to Hospitals' Teaching Programs
ENT-36 Reduce Medicare's Direct Payments for Medical Education
ENT-37 Eliminate Medicare's Additional Payments to Sole Community Hospitals
ENT-38 Reduce Medicare's Payments for Hospitals' Inpatient Capital-Related Costs
ENT-39 Eliminate Medicare Payments to Hospitals for Enrollees' Bad Debts
ENT-40 Revise Medicare's Cost Limits for Home Health Services and Skilled Nursing Facilities
ENT-41 Continue Medicare's Transition to Prospective Rates for Facility Costs in Hospitals' Outpatient Departments
ENT-42 Increase and Index Medicare's Deductible for Physicians' Services
ENT-43 Increase the Coinsurance Rate for Physicians' Services Under Medicare to 25 Percent
ENT-44 Collect 20 Percent Coinsurance on Clinical Laboratory Services Under Medicare
ENT-45 Collect 20 Percent Coinsurance on All Home Health and Skilled Nursing Facility Services Under Medicare
ENT-46 Prohibit First-Dollar Coverage Under Medigap Policies
ENT-47 Increase the Premium for Physicians' Services Under Medicare to 30 Percent of Program Costs
ENT-48 Relate the Premium for Physicians' Services Under Medicare to Enrollees' Income
ENT-49 Modify the Process for Updating Physicians' Fees Under the Medicare Fee Schedule
 
Income Security
ENT-50 Reduce Federal Employee Retirement Costs
ENT-51 End or Scale Back Trade Adjustment Assistance
ENT-52 Increase Targeting of Child Nutrition Subsidies
ENT-53 Eliminate Small Food Stamp Benefits
ENT-54 Reduce the $20 Exclusion from Income in Supplemental Security Income
ENT-55 Restrict Legal Immigrants' Eligibility for Welfare Programs
ENT-56 Limit Spending in the Emergency Assistance Program
ENT-57 Eliminate the $50 Child Support Payment to AFDC Families
ENT-58 Reduce the Federal Matching Rate and Increase Fees in the Child Support Enforcement Program
 
Social Security
ENT-59 Reduce the Replacement Rate Within Each Bracket of the Social Security Benefit Formula
ENT-60 Lengthen the Social Security Benefit Computation Period by Three Years
ENT-61 Eliminate Social Security Benefits for Children of Retirees Ages 62-64
ENT-62 Consider Veterans' Compensation When Determining Social Security Disability Income Payments
 
Veterans Benefits and Services
ENT-63 End Veterans' Compensation Payments for Certain Veterans with Low-Rated Disabilities
ENT-64 End Veterans' Disability and Death Compensation Awards in Future Cases When a Disability Is Unrelated to Military Duties
ENT-65 Eliminate "Sunset" Dates on Certain Provisions for Veterans in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
 
Allowances (All Functions)
ENT-66 Impose a Cost-of-Capital Offset Fee on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
ENT-67 Restrict Cost-of-Living Adjustments in Non-Means-Tested Benefit Programs
ENT-68 Apply Means Tests to Federal Entitlements
ENT-69 Charge Federal Employees Commercial Rates for Parking
ENT-70 Make Permanent Various Expiring User Fees Included in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Acts of 1990 and 1993
 
FIVE - REVENUES
 
Raise Income Tax Rates
REV-01 Raise Marginal Tax Rates for Individuals and Corporations
REV-02 Amend or Repeal the Indexing of Income Tax Schedules
REV-03 Tax All Corporate Income at a 35 Percent Rate
 
Restrict Itemized Deductions and Credits Under the Income Tax
REV-04 Eliminate or Limit Deductions for Mortgage Interest
REV-05 Eliminate or Limit Deductions of State and Local Taxes
REV-06 Eliminate or Limit Deductions for Charitable Giving
REV-07 Limit the Tax Benefit of Itemized Deductions to 15 Percent
REV-08 Phase Out the Dependent-Care Credit
 
Restrict the Tax-Favored Treatment of Nonretirement Fringe Benefits
REV-09 Impose an Excise Tax on Nonretirement Fringe Benefits
REV-10 Tax Employer-Paid Health Insurance
REV-11 Tax Employer-Paid Life Insurance
 
Restrict the Tax-Favored Treatment of Certain Household Income
REV-12 Decrease Limits on Contributions to Qualified Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans
REV-13 Impose a 5 Percent Tax on Investment Income of Pension Plans and Individual Retirement Accounts
REV-14 Tax the Income-Replacement Portion of Workers' Compensation and Black Lung Benefits
REV-15 Increase Taxation of Social Security and Railroad Retirement Benefits
REV-16 Tax Investment Income from Life Insurance and All Annuities
REV-17 Tax a Portion of the Insurance Value of Medicare Benefits
 
Increase Taxes Dedicated to Social Insurance Trust Funds
REV-18 Expand Medicare and Social Security Coverage
 
Increase Taxes on Income From Worldwide Activity
REV-19 Curtail Tax Subsidies for Exports
REV-20 Impose a Minimum Tax on Foreign-Owned Businesses
 
Broaden Taxes on Wealth and Capital Gains
REV-21 Tax Capital Gains from Home Sales
REV-22 Tax Capital Gains Held Until Death
REV-23 Increase Estate and Gift Taxes
 
Curtail Income Tax Preferences for Businesses
REV-24 Amortize a Portion of Advertising Costs
REV-25 Eliminate Private-Purpose, Tax-Exempt Bonds
REV-26 Reduce Tax Credits for Rehabilitating Older Buildings
REV-27 Disallow Interest Deductions for Corporate-Owned Life Insurance Loans
REV-28 Repeal the Low-Income Housing Credit
REV-29 Tax Credit Unions Like Other Thrift Institutions
REV-30 Repeal Tax Preferences for Extractive Industries
REV-31 Capitalize the Costs of Producing Timber
REV-32 Repeal the Partial Exemption for Alcohol Fuels from Excise Taxes on Motor Fuels
 
Impose Broad-Based Taxes on Consumption
REV-33 Impose a Value-Added Tax
REV-34 Impose a Broad-Based Energy Tax
 
Increase Excise Taxes
REV-3 5 Increase Excise Taxes on Tobacco and Alcoholic Beverages
REV-36 Increase Taxes on Petroleum and Motor Fuels
REV-3 7 Impose Excise Taxes on Water Pollutants
REV-3 8 Impose Excise Taxes on Air Pollutants
REV-39 Tax Additional Ozone-Depleting Chemicals
   
APPENDIXES
A - Estimated Savings in the Department of Defense Budget for Selected National Defense Options
B - Estimated Savings from the Administration's 1996 Request for Selected National Defense Options
C - Spending Options by Budget Function
   
GLOSSARY

 
TABLES
 
1 -1.  The Budget Outlook Through 2005 with Discretionary Inflation After 1998
1-2.  Illustrative Deficit Reduction Path
1 -3.  Deficit Reduction Necessary to Meet Illustrative Path Under Different Baseline Assumptions, 1996-2000
2-1.  U.S. Military Forces
2-2.  Discretionary Appropriations for National Defense for Fiscal Year 1995
2-3.  Alternative Budget Paths for National Defense
2-4.  Discretionary Appropriations for International Affairs for Fiscal Year 1995
3-1.  Budget Authority and Outlays for Domestic Discretionary Programs, by Budget Function, 1995
3-2.  Pay Raises Under FEPCA
4-1.  Sources of Growth in Mandatory Spending
4-2.  CBO Baseline Projections for Mandatory Spending
4-3.  Target Crop Prices Under CBO Baseline Assumptions and Under 3 Percent Annual Reductions
5-1.  CBO Baseline Projections for Revenues, by Source
5-2.  Individual Income Tax Brackets, 1995
5-3.  The Size of Two Possible Tax Bases for a Value-Added Tax, 1993
A-1.  Savings in the DoD Budget for Selected Options in Budget Function 050
B-1.  Savings from CBO's Estimates of the Administration's 1996 Plan for Selected Options in Budget Function 050
 
FIGURES
 
2-1.  Budget Authority for National Defense
2-2.  Outlays for International Affairs
3-1.  Domestic Discretionary Spending as a Share of GDP
5-1.  Total Revenue as a Share of GDP
5-2.  Revenues by Source as a Share of GDP
 
BOXES
 
1-1.  The Discretionary Spending Limits and PAYGO
3-1.  Categories of Domestic Discretionary Spending

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