With the passing of Congressman Bill Young (R-FL), residents of the 13th Congressional District of Florida have a special election coming up on March 11th to decide who will represent them for the remainder of the 113th Congress. Three candidates are viewed as the frontrunners: former general counsel to Bill Young David Jolly (R), activist and commercial diver Lucas Overby (L), and former Chief Financial Officer of Florida Alex Sink (D). Each candidate offers different general solutions to America’s fiscal ills but few details have been released by any campaign as to what specific policies that he or she would support as Florida’s newest Representative.
National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF) has long been analyzing what candidates would specifically do if elected to federal office. We take the direct quotes and campaign materials of candidates in contentious races and match those statements, goals, and affirmations to show the public what kind of a budget candidates are really calling for. The cost estimates and sources used in the studies are similar to those used in the BillTally project.
Since the election in has a shortened campaign period and because each of the three campaigns supplied few budgetary platform items, NTUF was able to compile a limited number of proposals but was unable to release a full study, such as the special election in New Jersey between now-Senator Cory Booker and former Mayor Steve Lonegan.
Remember, all of the figures highlighted in this post and in our line-by-line analysis of the three candidates are annualized and only include changes in current spending (or outlays). They do not include changes in revenue or costs outside of the federal government. For more information on NTUF’s Methodology, go here.
David Jolly (R) has three (out of ten) quantifiable policies that NTUF was able to score. One would decrease annual spending by $63.9 billion and two would increase outlays by $3.86 billion for a net $60.04 billion reduction in federal expenditures each year. His proposal with the largest impact on the federal budget is to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
- Index the Minimum Wage: Unknown
- Prevent National Flood Insurance Premium Rate Hike: $180 million
- Block Medicaid Expansion Without Federal Guarantee: Unknown
- Purchase Insurance Across State Lines: Unknown
- Repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: -$63.9 billion (savings)
- Secure the Border: $3.68 billion
- Ensure the Military is Properly Equipped: Unknown
- Fight for Local and Regional Military Installations: Unknown
- Strengthen America’s Foreign Policy: Unknown
- Protect Veterans Programs and Funding: Unknown
Lucas Overby (L) has proposed two (out of eight) policy items that NTUF could fiscally score. Combined, they would grow annual federal spending for a total of $191 million. His largest quantifiable measure would extend current federally-subsidized flood insurance premiums by four years.
- Prevent National Flood Insurance Premium Rate Hike: $180 million
- Tie Academic Performance with Financial Aid: Unknown
- Permit States to Decide on Offshore Drilling: Unknown
- Use Block Grants to Diversify Energy Sources: Unknown
- Expand Federal Employee Benefits to Domestic Partners: $11 million
- Reform the Health Care Sector: Unknown
- Reform the Immigration System: Unknown
- Revamp America’s Foreign Policy: Unknown
Alex Sink (D) has proposed three (out of nine) measures that NTUF could match with current cost estimates. All three would increase spending by a combined $20.391 billion each year. The largest budget-influencing item she supports is passing the comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the Senate.
- Build a Light Rail System in Pinellas County: Unknown
- Increase the Minimum Wage: Unknown
- Prevent National Flood Insurance Premium Rate Hike: $180 million
- Use New Technologies and Streamline Costs: Unknown
- Expand Federal Employee Benefits to Domestic Partners: $11 million
- Allow for Prescription Drug Price Negotiation: Unknown
- Delay Parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act if Necessary: Unknown
- Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform: $20.2 billion
- Ensure Veterans Access to Benefits and Employment: Unknown
While candidates have a number of conflicting platform items, they all share some common themes or goals. All three would vote to increase current spending by $180 million per year to delay a scheduled rate increase for the National Flood Insurance Program. The lower current rate would be in effect for four years and would allow officials to reexamine the maps and formulas used to determine price levels (more information can be found in a recent edition of The Taxpayer’s Tab). They would also, in varying ways, aim to secure the southern border. Jolly and Sink would use existing methods to do so, using federal resouces, while Overby would seek to utilize state resources.
Overall, taxpayers should take note of the many and large gaps in each candidates’ agendas. The lack of budgetary details is a concern all Americans have when deciding who to send to their statehouse and Washington, DC. As the days tick down to March 11th, campaigns need to offer taxpayers clear details of what they would do with not only the tax dollars from the 13th District but from all of the Districts in America.
Note: National Taxpayers Union Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Our research efforts are intended only to educate Americans on how their tax dollars are being or will be spent by those in office, seeking office, or in appointed positions. For more information on NTUF go here.