Taxpayer's Tab: $129 Billion Budget Impact Separates Ernst, Braley Platforms

State Senator Joni Ernst has proposed 18 total budget-influencing measures, of which five would decrease and three would increase federal spending. Ten of her measures were not specific enough to be scored. If she wins the election and her policies are enacted, taxpayers would see the federal budget shrink by $87.1 billion per year. Other findings include:

• Her largest cut item is to repeal the Affordable Care Act for an annual savings of $63.9 billion.
• Of her three increase proposals, the largest is to further secure the border and establish a guest-worker program at a cost of $4.0 billion per year.
• One of the measures that might have the largest budgetary impact, but was too broad to be scored, was her idea to reform Social Security, possibly involving privatized accounts for younger workers. The dollar implications could be in the billions.

Congressman Bruce Braley has 12 agenda items in his platform that could change spending if he is sworn in as Iowa's next Senator. While NTUF was unable to score seven proposals, five were matched to current legislation he has sponsored as well as budgetary data. The federal budget would grow by $41.9 billion annually in the event these five polices are enacted.

Highlights include:

• His largest increase item is to pass comprehensive immigration reform at a $19.4 billion yearly cost.
• Though a number of his proposals could reduce spending (such as permitting the Medicare program to negotiate drug prices), NTUF could not match them with budget figures.
• Among the unknown cost items, the largest possible fiscal impact is combating climate change, which could take the form of a new trillion-dollar carbon tax or a billion-dollar cap-and-trade system.