July 2005 Budget

[Emsworth]

Honorable Senators,

The Constitution requires the Senate to draft and approve a budget before it may proceed "to any other matter." In the interest of considering legislation and nominees in a timely manner, I suggest that the Senate start the process as soon as possible. Only taxation is to be considered at this time; the appropriations process takes place only in October.

On behalf of the Senate, I request the Game Moderator to provide economic figures, as required by the Constitution.

[Emsworth]

I would include the additional $25 million for the FBI under Justice. Drugs are the responsibility of Justice in real life, so the War on Drugs cut should be accounted to Justice as well.

I'd like to thank the distinguished Senator, Sen. Spade, for his work on and his help with the Budget.

[Emsworth]

Taking into account GM Ford's update, as well as my suggestion for the unspecified cuts (I'm not sure why this differs from the $540 billion figure for the deficit proposed; I just updated the revenue and based my calculation on it):

The Atlasian Budget FY 2006[/b]

Branches of Government:
1.   Legislative Branch:  $4.376 billion
2.   Judicial Branch:  $6.043 billion
3.      Executive Branch:
         a.  Executive Office of the President:  $0.342 billion
         b.  General Services Administration:  $0.210 billion (-0.020 billion)
         c.  Other Independent Agencies:  $16.717 billion (-0.367 billion)
Total:  $27.688 billion

Cabinet Departments

1.      Defense and Security Department:  $631.641 billion
         a.  Corps of Engineers – Civil Works:  $3.989 billion
         b.  Defense Sub-Dept. (military):  $432.853 billion (+$30.220 billion)
         c.  Energy Sub-Dept.:  $20.718 billion (-1.380 billion)
         d.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):  $7.636 billion
         e.  Homeland Security Sub-Dept.:  $31.414 billion
         f.   Interior Sub-Dept.:  $10.596 billion (+0.005 billion)
         g.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration:  $16.245 billion
         h.  Other Defense Civil Programs:  $40.505 billion
         i.   Veterans Affairs Sub-Dept.:  $65.285 billion

2.  Treasury and Social Services Department  $1,899.055 billion ($1.90 trillion)
         a.  Agriculture Sub-Dept.:  $84.283 billion (+$1.000 billion)
         b.  Commerce Sub-Dept:  $4.989 billion (-0.848 billion)
         c.  Education Sub-Dept.:  $66.434 billion
         d.  Health and Human Services Sub-Dept.:  $571.589 billion
         e.  Housing and Urban Development Sub-Dept.:  $34.042 billion
         f.   Labor Sub-Dept.:  $57.321 billion
         g.  National Science Foundation:  $5.770 billion
         h.  Office of Personnel Management:  $63.688 billion
         i.   Small Business Administration:  $0.681 billion
         j.   Social Security Administration:  $555.031 billion
         k.  Transportation Sub-Dept.:  $58.771 billion (+$0.395 billion)
         l.   Treasury Sub-Dept.:  $396.456 billion (-0.055 billion)

3.  Justice Dept:  $17.801 billion (-$3.975 billion)

4.  State and International Affairs Dept.  $29.160 billion
         a.  State Sub-Dept.:  $10.903 billion (+0.010 billion)
         b.  International Assistance Programs:  $18.257 billion

Total:  $2,609.320 billion ($2.61 trillion)

Allowances:  -$0.798 billion

Total (BA):  $2,604.547 billion ($2.60 trillion)
Offsetting Receipts:  $111.204 billion

PROPOSED BUDGET
$2,493.343 Billion Dollars[/b][/i]
PROJECTED REVENUES
$1,971.000 Billion Dollars[/i]
PROJECTED BUDGET DEFICIT
$522.343 Billion Dollars[/i]

[Emsworth]

Some possible cuts:

Legislative Branch: -$86 million
Rationale: This is the amount saved by not having 90 of 100 Senators, a House of Representatives, or Majority or Minority Leaders.

Judicial Branch: -$1 million
Rationale: This is the amount saved by having six fewer Associate Justices. (I have not calculated figures for lower courts. I merely assume that they exist, just as the sub-departments are assumed to exist. For the same reason, I haven't calculated figures for the Cabinet.)

[Emsworth]

That's kind of cheap and unrealistic, though.

Hmm, we did the same during the first budget debate, eliminating the Federal Election Commission, the National Archives, etc.

[Emsworth]

In a real-life government legislators aren't going to conviene on the internet and they would also need a full salary.

Just to note, I've left in the salaries for the PPT, nine other Senators, the Chief Justice, and two Associate Justices.

[Emsworth]

We save about $17.864 billion if the cuts go through. The projected deficit would still be over $500 billion, and we would still have to come up with about $200 billion in savings.

[Emsworth]

Well then we have to cut something very large...

Possible suggestions include:

- Cutting the Medicare drug benefit
- Raising the Social Security retirement age
- Instituting an across-the-board cut of discretionary spending

[Emsworth]

King, may I ask what source you are using for your numbers? I just want to keep everything consistent; my source seems to provide different values.

[Emsworth]

King, may I ask what source you are using for your numbers? I just want to keep everything consistent; my source seems to provide different values.

What do you mean by different values?

For instance, I have something like $66 million as the appropriation for the Appalachian Regional Commission, not the $109 million suggested. (source)

[Emsworth]

There has been no debate for over twenty-four hours. I will now be opening a vote in a separate thread.

[Emsworth]

We capped Agriculture subsidies recently, but is there any scope to actually cut some of them back.

The caps don't take effect until 2007. If we let them take effect next year, we save $9 billion.

[Emsworth]

The Constitution's balanced budget requirement ("The total overspent on each and every Budget and its Appropriations must not exceed 2% of the GDP") applies only to the Final Budget passed each October. This is because Appropriations are only determined "after the Final Version of the Budget is approved by the Senate."

Therefore, even if the present version of the Budget is not balanced, it can still be constitutionally approved. Pursuant to the Senate Official Procedural Resolution, the vote on approving the Budget can occur later today, unless there are further amendments that any Senator wishes to propose.

[Emsworth]

If you disagree, of course, I do not mind delaying the vote until the Budget is balanced.

So, Senators, any ideas? (I'm not nitpicking, as I am guilty of this myself, but so far we seem to have concentrated on the minutiae of spending. Major action is clearly needed.)

[Emsworth]

Alright. I think that I shall confine myself to suggestions of just major cuts in the future.

The District of Columbia is under the jurisdiction of the Mideast; therefore, further federal funding of the district is not required. Estimated savings: $1.206 billion

Capping total farm subsidies: $9 billion

I hate to say it, but we can also look for cuts in other Agriculture Department programs. Here are the totals spent on each of the following subsidy programs:

Food stamp program: $30.668 billion
Child nutrition programs: $11.615 billion
Women, Infants, and Children program: $4.9 billion

I do not advocate the elimination of all these programs. However, they do need to be capped, and possibly cut, as they have grown greatly (in real terms) in the past few years.

[Emsworth]

Declaring war on "terrorism" is certainly a novel idea, and probably would be deemed constitutional, though I don't think that it is in the spirit of the Constitution or the balanced budget provision.

I have to say that it certainly is difficult to come up with $300 billion in reductions, but there are still quite a few things we could do. I shall submit a few proposals later today.

[Emsworth]

Update:

The Atlasian Budget FY 2006[/b]

Branches of Government:
1.   Legislative Branch:  $4.290 billion (-$0.086 billion)
2.   Judicial Branch:  $6.042 billion (-$0.001 billion)
3.      Executive Branch:
         a.  Executive Office of the President:  $0.342 billion
         b.  General Services Administration:  $0.210 billion (-$0.020 billion)
         c.  Other Independent Agencies:  $14.064 billion (-$3.020 billion)
Total:  $27.688 billion

Cabinet Departments

1.      Defense and Security Department:  $627.627 billion
         a.  Corps of Engineers – Civil Works:  $0 (-$3.989 billion)
         b.  Defense Sub-Dept. (military):  $432.853 billion (+$30.220 billion)
         c.  Energy Sub-Dept.:  $20.718 billion (-$1.380 billion)
         d.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):  $7.636 billion
         e.  Homeland Security Sub-Dept.:  $31.414 billion
         f.   Interior Sub-Dept.:  $10.596 billion (+$0.005 billion)
         g.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration:  $16.245 billion
         h.  Other Defense Civil Programs:  $40.480 billion (-$0.025 billion)
         i.   Veterans Affairs Sub-Dept.:  $65.285 billion

2.  Treasury and Social Services Department  $1,897.701 billion ($1.90 trillion)
         a.  Agriculture Sub-Dept.:  $84.283 billion (+$1.000 billion)
         b.  Commerce Sub-Dept:  $4.989 billion (-$0.848 billion)
         c.  Education Sub-Dept.:  $66.434 billion
         d.  Health and Human Services Sub-Dept.:  $571.589 billion
         e.  Housing and Urban Development Sub-Dept.:  $34.042 billion
         f.   Labor Sub-Dept.:  $57.321 billion
         g.  National Science Foundation:  $5.770 billion
         h.  Office of Personnel Management:  $63.688 billion
         i.   Small Business Administration:  $0 (-$0.681 billion)
         j.   Social Security Administration:  $555.031 billion
         k.  Transportation Sub-Dept.:  $58.098 billion (-$0.278 billion)
         l.   Treasury Sub-Dept.:  $396.456 billion (-$0.055 billion)

3.  Justice Dept:  $17.801 billion (-$3.975 billion)

4.  State and International Affairs Dept.  $21.148 billion
         a.  State Sub-Dept.:  $10.903 billion (+0.010 billion)
         b.  International Assistance Programs:  $10.245 billion

Total:  $2,609.320 billion ($2.61 trillion)

Allowances:  -$0.798 billion

Total (BA):  $2,604.547 billion ($2.60 trillion)
Offsetting Receipts:  $111.204 billion

PROPOSED BUDGET
$2,477.223 Billion[/b][/i]
PROJECTED REVENUES
$1,971.000 Billion[/i]
PROJECTED BUDGET DEFICIT
$506.223 Billion[/i]

Maximum permissible deficit: $219.060 billion
The current deficit must be cut by: $287.163 billion

[Emsworth]

What do the Senators feel about:

- Capping food stamps at $20 billion (savings: $10 billion)
- Capping child nutrition programs at $7 billion (savings: $4 billion)
- Eliminating the Women, Infants, and Children program (savings: $5 billion)
- Eliminating federal aid to D.C., which is already under the jurisdiction of the Mideast (savings: $1 billion)
- Capping farm subsidies one year early (savings: $9 billion)
- Abolishing the Universal Service Fund (savings: $7 billion)
- Borrowing money from the Social Security Trust Fund (which has about $1.6 trillion available, for anyone who's interested)?

[Emsworth]

As I've said before I have a tax reform bill that will increase revenue by tens of billions of dollars.  I also feel that we should still form a commission to weed out unecesary corporate welfare from the tax code and dept. of commerce budget.

You could propose those tax reforms as a part of the Budget, if you like.

[Emsworth]

Update:

The Atlasian Budget FY 2006[/b]

Branches of Government:
1.   Legislative Branch:  $4.290 billion (-$0.086 billion)
2.   Judicial Branch:  $6.042 billion (-$0.001 billion)
3.      Executive Branch:
         a.  Executive Office of the President:  $0.342 billion
         b.  General Services Administration:  $0.210 billion (-$0.020 billion)
         c.  Other Independent Agencies:  $10.402 billion (-$6.682 billion)
Total:  $27.688 billion

Cabinet Departments

1.      Defense and Security Department:  $627.627 billion
         a.  Corps of Engineers – Civil Works:  $0 (-$3.989 billion)
         b.  Defense Sub-Dept. (military):  $432.853 billion (+$30.220 billion)
         c.  Energy Sub-Dept.:  $20.718 billion (-$1.380 billion)
         d.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):  $7.636 billion
         e.  Homeland Security Sub-Dept.:  $31.414 billion
         f.   Interior Sub-Dept.:  $10.596 billion (+$0.005 billion)
         g.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration:  $16.245 billion
         h.  Other Defense Civil Programs:  $40.480 billion (-$0.025 billion)
         i.   Veterans Affairs Sub-Dept.:  $65.285 billion

2.  Treasury and Social Services Department  $1,872.201 billion ($1.90 trillion)
         a.  Agriculture Sub-Dept.:  $56.783 billion (-$15.500 billion)
         b.  Commerce Sub-Dept:  $4.989 billion (-$0.848 billion)
         c.  Education Sub-Dept.:  $66.434 billion
         d.  Health and Human Services Sub-Dept.:  $571.589 billion
         e.  Housing and Urban Development Sub-Dept.:  $34.042 billion
         f.   Labor Sub-Dept.:  $57.321 billion
         g.  National Science Foundation:  $5.770 billion
         h.  Office of Personnel Management:  $63.688 billion
         i.   Small Business Administration:  $0 (-$0.681 billion)
         j.   Social Security Administration:  $555.031 billion
         k.  Transportation Sub-Dept.:  $58.098 billion (-$0.278 billion)
         l.   Treasury Sub-Dept.:  $396.456 billion (-$0.055 billion)

3.  Justice Dept:  $17.801 billion (-$3.975 billion)

4.  State and International Affairs Dept.  $21.632 billion
         a.  State Sub-Dept.:  $10.903 billion (+0.010 billion)
         b.  International Assistance Programs:  $10.729 billion (-$8.496 billion)

Total:  $2,609.320 billion ($2.61 trillion)

Allowances:  -$0.798 billion

Total (BA):  $2,604.547 billion ($2.60 trillion)
Offsetting Receipts:  $111.204 billion

PROPOSED BUDGET
$2,448.545 Billion[/b][/i]
PROJECTED REVENUES
$1,971.000 Billion[/i]
PROJECTED BUDGET DEFICIT
$477.545 Billion[/i]

[Emsworth]

I hereby propose a $71 billion dollar cut in HHS, a $10 billion dollar cut in education, a $636 million cut in the EPA, a $5 billion cut in HHS, a $390 million dollar cut in the Legislative branch, a $6 billion cut in the Office of Personnel management, a $10 billion cut in the Treasury Sub-Department, and a further $500 million cut from International Assistance programs. That'll save over $98 billion on its own.

I request the Senator to note which particular programs will be eliminated or cut in HHS, Education, the Legislative Branch, Treasury, and International Assistance. Alternatively, I would request him to indicate if these cuts are across-the-board cuts of all programs by a specific percentage. (It has been the practice of the Senate so far to identify specifically what is being cut in the Budget.)

[Emsworth]

I hereby propose a $71 billion dollar cut in HHS, a $10 billion dollar cut in education, a $636 million cut in the EPA, a $5 billion cut in HHS, a $390 million dollar cut in the Legislative branch, a $6 billion cut in the Office of Personnel management, a $10 billion cut in the Treasury Sub-Department, and a further $500 million cut from International Assistance programs. That'll save over $98 billion on its own.

I request the Senator to note which particular programs will be eliminated or cut in HHS, Education, the Legislative Branch, Treasury, and International Assistance. Alternatively, I would request him to indicate if these cuts are across-the-board cuts of all programs by a specific percentage. (It has been the practice of the Senate so far to identify specifically what is being cut in the Budget.)

Note: If there is no response by the time this has to come up for a vote, I will assume that the cuts are across-the-board.

[Emsworth]

$172.71 billion for axing welfare, which is unconstitutional anyways, under any review of Bono vs Atlasia

There has been a new Constitution since then; it clearly grants the Senate the power to "provide for systems of Insurance and Annuity for Unemployment, Disability, and Retirement." Bono v. Atlasia is consequently of no value any longer as precedent, as it has been overridden.

[Emsworth]

Clause 17 says “to provide for systems of Insurance and Annuity for Unemployment, Disability, and Retirement.”  We find that this clause is clearly intended to apply to Unemployment benefits, Disability benefits, and retirement programs such as Social Security.  We do not view pregnancy and childbirth as a disability.

Indeed. The Unwed Mother Act was clearly not a valid use of the power granted by this clause. But welfare - the provision of unemployment benefits, etc. - is certainly valid.

[Emsworth]

Welfare is paying money to single mothers to do nothing.

I have never argued that the law providing special benefits to unwed and teenage mothers is constitutional.