Founder Tbird Posted March 24 Founder Share Posted March 24 These are recommendations. They propose some of these each year. They do not mean the changes will be made, but they give you a good idea of their thinking. Read Further: Military.com explains it in CBO Suggests Raising Tricare Fees, Cutting Veteran Benefits to Slash Deficit. Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2019 to 2028Reducing the Deficit: 2019 to 2028 CBO periodically issues a large number of options—this year’s installment presents 121—to decrease federal spending or increase federal revenues. The CBO’s website allows users to filter options by topic, date, and category. Published Dec 13, 2018 PDF CBO Options for Reducing the Deficit- 2019 to 2028.pdf Summary Since 2007, federal debt held by the public has more than doubled in relation to the size of the economy, and it will keep growing significantly if the large annual budget deficits projected under current law come to pass. Congress faces various policy choices as it confronts the challenges posed by such a large and growing debt. To help inform lawmakers, the Congressional Budget Office periodically issues a compendium of policy options that would help reduce the deficit, reporting the estimated budgetary effects of those options and highlighting some arguments for and against them. This latest series report presents 121 options to decrease federal spending or increase federal revenues over the next ten years (see Summary Table below). Of those options, 112 are presented in the main body of the report, and most of those 112 would save $10 billion or more over that period. The remaining nine options are presented in an appendix and would generally have smaller budgetary effects. The options in this report come from various sources. Some are based on proposed legislation or the budget proposals of various Administrations; others come from Congressional offices or entities in the federal government or private sector. The options cover many areas—defense, health, Social Security, provisions of the tax code, and more. The budgetary effects identified for most options span the ten years from 2019 to 2028 (the period covered by CBO’s baseline budget projections), although many options would also have longer-term effects. Chapters 2 through 4 present options in the following categories: Chapter 2: Mandatory spending, Chapter 3: Discretionary spending, and Chapter 4: Revenues. Each chapter begins with a description of budgetary trends for the topic area, a general discussion of the method underlying the estimates of budgetary effects, and an overview of the options in the chapter. Then, the chapter offers individual entries for each option that provide background information, describe the option, discuss the estimated budgetary effects, the basis of those estimates, and the largest sources of uncertainty, and summarize arguments for and against the change. As a collection, the options are intended to reflect a range of possibilities, not a ranking of priorities or an exhaustive list. Including or excluding any particular option does not imply that CBO endorses or opposes it, and the report makes no recommendations. The report also does not contain comprehensive budget plans; it would be possible to devise such plans by combining certain options in various ways (although some would overlap and would interact with others). CBO’s website includes a search tool that allows users to filter options by major budget category, budget function, topic, and date. That tool is regularly updated to include only the most recent version of budget options from various CBO reports. Therefore, the tool currently includes all the options in this report. It also includes options that were analyzed in the past and were not updated for this report but remain informative. Those options were either in previous editions of this report or in different CBO reports analyzing specific federal programs or aspects of the tax code. Of interest to Veterans: Narrow Eligibility for Veterans’ Disability Compensation by Excluding Certain Disabilities Unrelated to Military Duties 4 to 33 End VA’s Individual Unemployability Payments to Disabled Veterans at the Full Retirement Age for Social Security 7 to 48 Reduce VA’s Disability Benefits to Veterans Who Are Older Than the Full Retirement Age for Social Security 11 Narrow Eligibility for VA’s Disability Compensation by Excluding Veterans With Low Disability Ratings 6 to 38 End Enrollment in VA Medical Care for Veterans in Priority Groups 7 and 8 57a Include Disability Payments From the Department of Veterans Affairs in Taxable Income 4 to 93 Mandatory Spending Title Savings, 2019–2028 (Billions of Dollars) Limit Enrollment in the Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Programs 3 to 10 Eliminate Title I Agriculture Programs 20 Reduce Subsidies in the Crop Insurance Program 4 to 21 Limit ARC and PLC Payment Acres to 30 Percent of Base Acres 10 Raise Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s Guarantee Fees and Decrease their Eligible Loan Limits 3 to 12 Eliminate or Reduce the Add-On to Pell Grants, Which Is Funded With Mandatory Spending 31 to 62 Limit Forgiveness of Graduate Student Loans 12 to 32 Reduce or Eliminate Subsidized Loans for Undergraduate Students 7 to 22 Reduce or Eliminate Public Service Loan Forgiveness 9 to 22 Remove the Cap on Interest Rates for Student Loans 11 to 16 Adopt a Voucher Plan and Slow the Growth of Federal Contributions for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program 35 to 37a Establish Caps on Federal Spending for Medicaid 162 to 703 Limit States’ Taxes on Health Care Providers 15 to 344 Reduce Federal Medicaid Matching Rates 55 to 394 Introduce Enrollment Fees Under TRICARE for Life 12 Introduce Minimum Out-of-Pocket Requirements Under TRICARE for Life 27 Change the Cost-Sharing Rules for Medicare and Restrict Medigap Insurance 44 to 116 Increase Premiums for Parts B and D of Medicare 40 to 418 Raise the Age of Eligibility for Medicare to 67 15 to 22 Reduce Medicare’s Coverage of Bad Debt 12 to 39 Require Manufacturers to Pay a Minimum Rebate on Drugs Covered Under Part D of Medicare for Low-Income Beneficiaries 154 Modify Payments to Medicare Advantage Plans for Health Risk 47 to 67 Reduce Quality Bonus Payments to Medicare Advantage Plans 18 to 94 Consolidate and Reduce Federal Payments for Graduate Medical Education at Teaching Hospitals 34 to 40 Convert Multiple Assistance Programs for Lower-Income People Into Smaller Block Grants to States 88 to 247 Eliminate Subsidies for Certain Meals in the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, and Child and Adult Care Food Programs 11 Reduce TANF’s State Family Assistance Grant by 10 Percent 13 Eliminate Supplemental Security Income Benefits for Disabled Children 100a Link Initial Social Security Benefits to Average Prices Instead of Average Earnings 77 to 121 Make Social Security’s Benefit Structure More Progressive 7 to 36 Raise the Full Retirement Age for Social Security 28 Require Social Security Disability Insurance Applicants to Have Worked More in Recent Years 50 Eliminate Eligibility for Starting Social Security Disability Benefits at Age 62 or Later 20 Narrow Eligibility for Veterans’ Disability Compensation by Excluding Certain Disabilities Unrelated to Military Duties 4 to 33 End VA’s Individual Unemployability Payments to Disabled Veterans at the Full Retirement Age for Social Security 7 to 48 Reduce VA’s Disability Benefits to Veterans Who Are Older Than the Full Retirement Age for Social Security 11 Narrow Eligibility for VA’s Disability Compensation by Excluding Veterans With Low Disability Ratings 6 to 38 Use an Alternative Measure of Inflation to Index Social Security and Other Mandatory Programs 202 Divest Two Agencies of Their Electric Transmission Assets 2a Change the National Flood Insurance Program 1 Tighten Eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 8 Reduce Pension Benefits for New Federal Retirees 3 Eliminate the Special Retirement Supplement for New Federal Retirees 5 Discretionary Spending Title Savings, 2019–2028 (Billions of Dollars) Reduce the Department of Defense’s Budget 248 to 517 Reduce DoD’s Operation and Maintenance Appropriation (Excluding Funding for the Defense Health Program) 70 to 195 Cap Increases in Basic Pay for Military Service Members 18 Replace Some Military Personnel With Civilian Employees 14 Cancel Plans to Purchase Additional F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and Instead Purchase F-16s and F/A-18s 13 Stop Building Ford Class Aircraft Carriers 10 Reduce Funding for Naval Ship Construction to Historical Levels 50 Reduce the Size of the Nuclear Triad 8 to 9 Cancel the Long-Range Standoff Weapon 11 Defer Development of the B-21 Bomber 32 Modify TRICARE Enrollment Fees and Cost Sharing for Working-Age Military Retirees 11a Reduce the Size of the Bomber Force by Retiring the B-1B 17 Reduce the Size of the Fighter Force by Retiring the F-22 27 Cancel the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System 18 Reduce the Basic Allowance for Housing to 80 Percent of Average Housing Costs 15a Cancel Development and Production of the New Missile in the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent Program 24 Reduce Funding for International Affairs Programs 116 Reduce Appropriations for Global Health to Their Level in 2000 57 Eliminate Human Space Exploration Programs 89 Reduce Department of Energy Funding for Energy Technology Development 3 to 16 Eliminate Funding for Amtrak and the Essential Air Service Program 2 to 20a Limit Highway and Transit Funding to Expected Revenues 116 Eliminate the Federal Transit Administration 87 Increase the Passenger Fee for Aviation Security 21 Eliminate Federal Funding for National Community Service 9 Eliminate Head Start 92 Tighten Eligibility for Pell Grants 3 to 86a Increase Payments by Tenants in Federally Assisted Housing 21 Reduce Funding for the Housing Choice Voucher Program or Eliminate the Program 9 to 125 End Enrollment in VA Medical Care for Veterans in Priority Groups 7 and 8 57a Reduce the Annual Across-the-Board Adjustment for Federal Civilian Employees’ Pay 58 Reduce the Size of the Federal Workforce Through Attrition 35 Reduce Funding for Certain Grants to State and Local Governments 1 to 42 Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act 12a Eliminate Certain Forest Service Programs 6 Limit the Number of Cities Receiving Urban Areas Security Initiative Grants 1 Eliminate the International Trade Administration's Trade-Promotion Activities 3 Convert the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Program Into a Direct Loan Program 3 Revenues Title Savings, 2019–2028 (Billions of Dollars) Increase Individual Income Tax Rates 123 to 905 Raise the Tax Rates on Long-Term Capital Gains and Qualified Dividends by 2 Percentage Points and Adjust Tax Brackets 70 to 81 Eliminate or Modify Head-of-Household Filing Status 66 to 165 Curtail the Deduction for Charitable Giving 146 to 176 Eliminate Itemized Deductions 1,312 Change the Tax Treatment of Capital Gains From Sales of Inherited Assets 105 Eliminate the Tax Exemption for New Qualified Private Activity Bonds 32 Expand the Base of the Net Investment Income Tax to Include the Income of Active Participants in S Corporations and Limited Partnerships 199 Tax Carried Interest as Ordinary Income 14 Include Disability Payments From the Department of Veterans Affairs in Taxable Income 4 to 93 Include Employer-Paid Premiums for Income Replacement Insurance in Employees’ Taxable Income 342 Reduce Tax Subsidies for Employment-Based Health Insurance 256 to 638 Further Limit Annual Contributions to Retirement Plans 103 Tax Social Security and Railroad Retirement Benefits in the Same Way That Distributions From Defined Benefit Pensions Are Taxed 411 Eliminate Certain Tax Preferences for Education Expenses 188 Lower the Investment Income Limit for the Earned Income Tax Credit and Extend That Limit to the Refundable Portion of the Child Tax Credit 8 Require Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit Claimants to Have a Social Security Number That Is Valid for Employment 24 Increase the Payroll Tax Rate for Medicare Hospital Insurance 898 to 1,787 Increase the Payroll Tax Rate for Social Security 716 to 1,422 Increase the Maximum Taxable Earnings for the Social Security Payroll Tax 785 to 1,223 Expand Social Security Coverage to Include Newly Hired State and Local Government Employees 80 Tax All Pass-Through Business Owners Under SECA and Impose a Material Participation Standard 163 Increase Taxes That Finance the Federal Share of the Unemployment Insurance System 18 Increase the Corporate Income Tax Rate by 1 Percentage Point 96 Repeal Certain Tax Preferences for Energy and Natural Resource–Based Industries 2 to 8 Repeal the “LIFO” and “Lower of Cost or Market” Inventory Accounting Methods 58 Require Half of Advertising Expenses to Be Amortized Over 5 or 10 Years 63 to 132 Repeal the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit 49 Increase All Taxes on Alcoholic Beverages to $16 per Proof Gallon and Index for Inflation 68 to 83 Increase the Excise Tax on Tobacco Products by 50 Percent 42 Increase Excise Taxes on Motor Fuels and Index for Inflation 237 to 515 Impose an Excise Tax on Overland Freight Transport 358 Impose Fees to Cover the Costs of Government Regulations and Charge for Services Provided to the Private Sector 0 to 14 Impose a 5 Percent Value-Added Tax 1,920 to 2,970 Impose a Tax on Emissions of Greenhouse Gases 1,099 Impose a Fee on Large Financial Institutions 90 to 103 Impose a Tax on Financial Transactions 777 Tax Gains from Derivatives as Ordinary Income on a Mark-to-Market Basis 19 Increase Federal Civilian Employees’ Contributions to the Federal Employees Retirement System 45 Increase Appropriations for the Internal Revenue Service’s Enforcement Initiatives 35 ARC = Agriculture Risk Coverage; DoD = Department of Defense; LIFO = last in, first out; PLC = Price Loss Coverage; SECA = Self-Employment Contributions Act; TANF = Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; VA = Department of Veterans Affairs. For options affecting primarily mandatory spending or revenues, savings sometimes would derive from changes in both. When that is the case, the savings shown include effects on both mandatory spending and revenues. For options affecting primarily discretionary spending, the savings shown are the decrease in discretionary outlays. a. Savings do not encompass all budgetary effects. Data and Supplemental Information Data Underlying Figures Tables Showing Estimated Budgetary Effects Related Publications Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2021 to 2030 December 9, 2020 How Changing Social Security Could Affect Beneficiaries and the System's Finances April 24, 2019 The Deficit Reductions Necessary to Meet Various Targets for Federal Debt August 21, 2018 The Long-Term Budget Outlook Under Alternative Scenarios for Fiscal Policy August 8, 2018 The 2018 Long-Term Budget Outlook June 26, 2018 An Analysis of the President’s 2019 Budget May 24, 2018 The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2018 to 2028 April 9, 2018 Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2017 to 2026 December 8, 2016 Corrections and Updates On June 28, 2019, CBO reposted the report to correct values that it mentioned for the thresholds used to calculate the excise tax on high-cost health insurance plans. The analysis underlying the report and the resulting budgetary estimates were not affected. On October 23, 2019, CBO posted a file of tables showing the options’ estimated budgetary effects. View full record Tbird Founder HadIt.com Veteran To Veteran LLC - Founded Jan 20, 1997 HadIt.com Veteran To Veteran | Community Forum | RallyPoint | FaceBook | LinkedIn | About Me Time Dedicated to HadIt.com Veterans and my brothers and sisters: 65,700 - 109,500 Hours Over Thirty Years I am writing my memoirs and would love it if you could help a shipmate out and look at it. I've had a few challenges, perhaps the same as you. I relate them here to demonstrate that we can learn, overcome, and find purpose in life. The stories can be harrowing to read; they were challenging to live. Remember that each story taught me something I would need once I found my purpose, and my purpose was and is HadIt.com Veterans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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