A Budget Deal That Breaks Budget Control Act Caps is the Wrong Approach
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House and Senate budget negotiators are nearing an agreement on a budget deal, but it may prove to be one that is not agreeable to conservatives or to the taxpayers footing the bill for out-of-control government spending.
The 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA), though imperfect, was effective in cutting discretionary spending, and a budget that breaks the caps set by it is unacceptable. Yet, there is mounting pressure from appropriators to replace part of automatic spending cuts put in place by the BCA. Meanwhile, many Democrats are seeking to reverse the sequester on their “favored domestic programs,” like transportation, housing and the ineffective Head Start program.
The Wall Street Journal notes: (sub. req.d):
Republicans would be wiser to stick to the Budget and Control Act’s spending caps, which have been highly effective in controlling discretionary spending. Federal outlays declined to $3.45 trillion and 20.8% of GDP in fiscal 2013 from $3.6 trillion and 24.1% of GDP in 2011. In 2010 discretionary spending peaked at 9.4% of GDP, but in 2013 it was down to 7.6% and in 2014 will fall to 7%. A testament to the success of the caps is that nearly every Democrat and spending lobby in Washington is desperate to get rid of them.
They also explain that the BCA caps merely require a slower increase in spending than was required by President Obama’s “inflated spending baselines from [his] first two years in office.”
Politico identified others who would support the deal, and conservatives are conspicuously missing from the list:
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