Budget Control Act

1. Budget Control Act Sequestration How Does it Work

2. Budget Control Act Passed the Congress in August 2011 Established the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction It’s the Law! P.L. 112-25

3. Budget Control Act The provisions contained in the BCA have the potential to have significant impact on state budgets starting in 2013. Already discussion in Congress to amend the Act

4. Budget Control Act The Act provides the framework for everything Congress is doing not just this year, but for the next 10 years.

5. Definitions • Two categories: Defense and non-Defense • FY2013 Defense category includes many non-DOD programs that relate to national security • FY2014 – FY2021 Defense category includes only DOD programs • Discretionary spending refers to outlays from budget authority that is provided and controlled by appropriations acts. • Mandatory or direct spending refers to outlays from budget authority that is provided by the laws other than appropriations. • Sequestration: Across the board cuts in budget resources of all programs within a category (new budget authority, unobligated balances, direct spending authority, and obligation limitations).

6. The Congressional Budget Process Under the provisions of the 1974 Congressional Budget Act, Congress is suppose to adopt no later than May 15tha conference report on a Budget Resolution that sets a ceiling on total spending (this is an aggregate number that applies to mostly appropriation bills for the coming fiscal year). The Budget Resolution give each House and Senate committee with new budget authority an allocation of what it can spend for the upcoming Fiscal Year (302a allocation). For the Appropriation Committees, each subcommittee is given an allocation of what they can put into their appropriations bill (302b allocation). The Budget Control Act used both sequestration and these allocations to control spending.

7. Budget Control Act Why Sequestration Is Important Limits on Discretionary Spending between FY2013 and FY2021 (In billions) Fiscal Year Original Limits on all Discretionary 2013 $1,047 2014 $1,066 2016 $1,107 2017 $1,131 2018 $1,156 2019 $1,182 2020 $1,208 2021 $1,234

8. Budget Control Act Why Sequestration Is Important Limits on Discretionary Spending between FY2013 and FY2021 (In billions) Fiscal Year Original Limits on all Discretionary 2013 $1,047 2014 $1,066 2016 $1,107 2017 $1,131 2018 $1,156 2019 $1,182 2020 $1,208 2021 $1,234 $1,234 - $1,047 = $187 allowable growth over 10 years

9. Three Things to Keep in Mind • 50% of all cuts must come from DoD • Sequestration applies only to mandatory spending after FY2013 • Cuts in both mandatory & discretionary spending are allocated proportionally

10. How Sequestration Works

11. How Sequestration Works The spending reduction process will automatically be triggered because the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction fail to achieve any savings. Reductions must equal $1.2 trillion over 10 years (FY2012-FY2021) The automatic spending reduction process entails four key steps: The statutory discretionary spending limits for FY2013-FY2021 are revised, by redefining the security and non-security categories and by extending such categories through FY2021; The amount of spending reduction required for each year is calculated and divided equally between two categories—Defense and non-Defense;

12. How Sequestration Works The spending reduction process will automatically be triggered because the Joint Select committee on Deficit Reduction fail to achieve any savings. Reductions must equal $1.2 trillion over 10 years (FY2012-FY2021) The automatic spending reduction process entails four key steps: The annual amount of spending reductions required each year in each of these categories is further divided proportionally between discretionary appropriations and direct spending programs (excluding certain programs and activities) within each category; and The spending reductions required in each year (FY2013-FY2021) are achieved through a combination of sequestration and a downward adjustment of the revised discretionary spending limits.

13. How Sequestration Works The reductions required are implemented in three parts: For discretionary spending for FY2013, a sequestration of budgetary resources in that year For discretionary spending for FY 2014-FY2021, a downward adjustment of the revised discretionary spending limits For direct spending, a sequestration of budgetary resources in each year from FY 2013 through FY 2021

14. How Sequestration Works Human services programs are exempt from sequestration • Social Security • Medicaid • Medicare (Limited to no more than a 2% reduction) • Academic Competitiveness/Smart Grant Program • Child Care Entitlement to States • Child Enrollment Contingency Fund • Child Nutrition Programs (with the exception of special milk programs • Children’s Health Insurance Fund • Commodity Supplemental Food Program • Contingency Fund • Family Support Programs • Federal Pell Grants under section 1070a of title 20 • Grants to States for Medicaid • Payments for Foster Care and Permanency • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program • Supplemental Security Income Program • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

15. How Sequestration Works Human services programs NOT exempt from sequestration include: • Medicare providers, • Women, Infants and Children (except Special supplemental nutrition program) • Substance Abuse Block Grant • Mental Health Block Grant • Community Services Block Grant • Promoting Safe and Stable Families • Social Services Block Grants • Child Care Development Block Grants • Child Welfare Services • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance • Community Health Centers

16. How Sequestration Works The Budget Control Act establishes discretionary spending caps through FY2021 for both Defense and non-Defense categories.

17. How Sequestration Works Revised Statutory Limits on Discretionary Spending if Automatic Spending Reduction Process is Triggered (in billions of budget authority) Fiscal Year Revised Security Revised Non-security Category Category 2013 $546 $501 2014 $556 $510 2015 $566 $520 2016 $577 $530 2017 $590 $541 2018 $603 $553 2019 $616 $566 2020 $630 $578 2021 $644 $590

18. How Sequestration Works Sequestration applies to bothmandatory and discretionary spending in FY2013 only In FY2014 – FY2021 sequestration applies only to mandatoryspending Spending caps located in the BCA are used in the normal appropriation process to limit discretionary spending using 302a and 302b allocations

19. How Sequestration Works For FY 2013, sequestration of $97 billion occurs January 2, 2013. For FY 2014 – FY 2021 sequestration occurs 15 days after Congress adjourns (either 1st or 2nd session).

20. How To Calculate Spending Caps

21. How To Calculate Spending Caps Determine Revised Limits on Discretionary Sending Discretionary spending limits are established in BCA but are subject to revision

22. How To Calculate Spending Caps The revised limits on discretionary spending may fluctuate to accommodate: • Emergency requirements • Appropriations for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism • Appropriations for continuing disability reviews • Appropriations for controlling health care fraud and abuse • Appropriations designed as being for disaster relief

23. How To Calculate Spending Caps Subtract estimated amount of saving from payments on interest from total amount of spending cuts i.e. $1.2 trillion

24. How To Calculate Spending Caps Subtract estimated amount of saving from payments on interest from total amount of spending cuts i.e. $1.2 trillion Estimated at 18% $1,200,000,000,000 x .18 = $216,000,000,000 $1,200,000,000,000 - $216,000,000,000 = $984,000,000,000

25. How To Calculate Spending Caps Divide target amount equally between Defense and non-Defense spending $984,000,000,000 ÷ 2= $492,000,000,000 (over nine years)

26. How To Calculate Spending Caps Determine how much the deficit must be reduced each year from FY2013 until FY2021 (Total of nine years) $492,000,000,000 ÷ 9= $54,666,666,666 The $54.7 billion reduction is for both discretionary and mandatory spending combined in each category

27. How To Calculate Spending Caps To determineproportions of spending reductions to allocate toward discretionary or mandatory: Multiply $54.7 billion by discretionary spending cap Divide by total (discretionary and mandatory) non-exempt spending = reduction in discretionary spending in that category To determine mandatoryamount subject to sequestration simply subtract discretionary reductions from $54.7 billion.

28. How To Calculate Spending Caps Example for FY 2014 Non-Defense Category Discretionary spending cap = $510 billion $54.7 billion x $510 billion = $27.88 trillion $27.88 trillion ÷ ($510 billion +~$206 billion) = $38.9 billion { { = + OMB’s Baseline Estimate for Mandatory Spending $716 billion in total non-exempt spending Discretionary Cap

29. How To Calculate Spending Caps Example for FY 2014 Non-Defense Category Discretionary spending cap = $510 billion $38.9 billion reduction in discretionaryspending cap $15.7 billion reductionin non-exempt mandatoryspending Total savings of $54.7 billion

30. How To Calculate Spending Caps Example for FY 2014 Non-Defense Category Discretionary spending cap = $510 billion $38.9 billion reduction in discretionary spending cap $510 billion – $38.9 billion = $471.1 billion (new discretionary spending cap for aggregate appropriations in fiscal year)

31. How Sequestration Works Revised Statutory Limits on Discretionary Spending if Automatic Spending Reduction Process is Triggered (in billions of budget authority) Fiscal Year Revised Security Revised Non-security Category Category 2013 $546 $501 2014 $556 $471 2015 $566 $520 2016 $577 $530 2017 $590 $541 2018 $603 $553 2019 $616 $566 2020 $630 $578 2021 $644 $590

32. How To Calculate Spending Caps Example for FY 2014 Non-Defense Category Discretionary spending cap = $510 billion $15.7 billion reduction in non-exempt mandatory spending $15.7 billion cut from $206 billion in mandatoryspending via sequestration

33. How To Calculate Spending Caps Example for FY 2014 Non-Defense Category Discretionary spending cap = $510 billion $15.7 billion reduction in non-exempt mandatory spending $15.7 billion cut from $206 billion in mandatoryspending via sequestration $15.7 billion is 7.6% of $206 billion, so all non-exempt programs in the non-Defense category would be reduced by 7.6%.

34. How To Calculate Spending Caps Example for FY 2014 Non-Defense Category Discretionary spending cap = $510 billion $38.9 billion reduction in discretionary spending cap Medicaid is exempted from sequestration and Medicare provider cuts are limited no more than 2%. Any cuts for Medicare provider benefits above 2% are subtracted from the discretionary spending cap Final discretionary spending cap reduction is $38.9 billion + the additional Medicare cuts above 2%

35. Why is the Budget Control Act and sequestration so important? Sequestration in Mandatory spending for FY2014 is estimated at about 7.5% A budget in FY 2013 of $1, 000,000,000 lowered 7.5% each year for ten years would have $495,764,693 in FY2021 Or less than 50% of its FY2013 funding

36. Review $54.7 billion is the amount bothDefense and non-Defense spending must be cut each year This reduction in spending is done proportionallybetween discretionary and mandatory spending. Discretionaryreductions are done through the normal appropriation process of allocations whereasmandatoryreductions are done through sequestration or across the board cuts.

37. Review The BCA depends on enforcement of discretionary spending limits by allowing members of Congress to raise a point of order during consideration of appropriations bills in each house.

38. Review Because the caps limit the total amount of budget authority for budget year, the order in which an individual approbation bill is considered will affect whether or not it is subject to a point of order.