Illinois U.S. Senate Candidate Spending Analysis – Alexi Giannoulias
Total Net Spending Agenda:
$76.278 billion
Economy,
Transportation, and Infrastructure:
$5.561 billion
A. Job Creation Tax
Credit:
“Alexi is calling for a ‘job creation tax credit’ for small
businesses with less than 50 employees to help incentivize job creation among
small businesses, which are responsible for 65 percent of jobs created in
America.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/economy#Future%20Works%20I
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The cost of this
proposal would be determined, in large part, by whether the tax credit is “refundable”
or not. The refunded portion is
considered spending for budgetary purposes.
Without additional details, NTUF is unable to determine the level of
refundability (and hence the impact on outlays as opposed to revenues).
B. Small Business
Loan Fund:
“Create a $50 billion fund from the money returned to TARP [Troubled
Asset Relief Program] and establish a lending program through the Small Business
Administration (SBA) to steer money directly to small businesses. The money would come with stricter
guidelines, more oversight and greater accountability than the original TARP
program.
To enhance this program, Alexi supports the effort of
Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) to increase the caps on the Small Business
Administration’s 7(a) and 504 loans to $5 million in most instances, and to
raise the maximum loan size for microloans from $35,000 to $50,000.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/economy#Future%20Works%20II
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The Dodd-Frank Wall
Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (P.L. 111-203) prohibits the reuse of
repaid TARP funds, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), The Budget and Economic Outlook: An Update,
August 2010. http://cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11705&type=1
If Giannoulias wanted to create the loan program without TARP
funds, the potential cost to taxpayers would be determined, in part, by the
subsidy rates associated with the different loan types. In a cost estimate for S. 2869 (111th
Congress), the Small Business Job Creation and Access to Capital Act of 2009,
which would expand maximum loan sizes and increase loan guarantee rates, CBO
states, “subsidy rates for those programs range from zero percent for the 504
program to about 12 percent for the microloan program.”
http://cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11006&zzz=40172
C. Renegotiate the
North American Free Trade Agreement:
“In the U.S. Senate, Alexi would push legislation that
requires the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office to analyze the impact
of [the North American Free Trade Agreement] and other trade deals on American
jobs, wages and business investment, and calls for the White House to give
Congress a plan for renegotiating those pacts.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/economy#Future%20Works%20V
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The primary impact of free trade bills is generally on
federal revenues. Depending on the terms
of the agreement, there may be some outlay effects as well. For example, CBO projects that H.R. 3688, the
United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (110th Congress),
“would reduce revenues by $20 million in 2008, increase revenues by $292
million over the 2008-2012 period, and reduce revenues by $423 million over the
2008-2017 period. CBO estimates that
enacting H.R. 3688 also would increase direct spending by $4 million in 2008
and by $27 million over the 2008-2012 period, and reduce direct spending by
$443 million over the 2008-2017 period.
Further, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would result in
new discretionary spending of less than $500,000 per year, assuming the
availability of appropriated funds.”
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdoc.cfm?index=8790&type=1
D. Occupational
Safety and Health Administration Funding:
“Alexi supports providing adequate funding for the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and extending coverage to
the millions of state and local employees currently excluded from the OSHA Act.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/supporting-american-workers
Cost: Unknown.
Note: Related legislation
has been introduced in the form of S. 1580 (111th Congress), the
Protecting America’s Workers Act. A cost
estimate is not available.
E. Pay Equity:
“In the Senate, he will work to pass the Paycheck Fairness
Act, which would empower women to negotiate for equal pay, create incentives
for employers to follow the Equal Pay Act and protect workers from retaliation
if they disclose or question their pay.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/supporting-american-workers
Cost: $3 million ($15
million over five years).
Source: S. 3772 (111th
Congress), the Paycheck Fairness Act.
The text authorizes $15 million.
NTUF assumes that the funding would be spent over five years.
F. Performance-based
Transportation Funding:
“As Senator, he would be a vocal advocate for ensuring that
every mode of transportation is being funded based on performance. Low-pollution modes – like rail, transit,
bike and pedestrian infrastructure – are significantly underfunded compared to
automobile infrastructure.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/transportation-infrastructure
Cost: Unknown.
Note: Related legislation
has been introduced in the form of H.R. 2724 (111th Congress), to
amend title 49, United States Code, to establish national transportation
objectives and performance targets for the purpose of assessing progress toward
meeting national transportation objectives.
A cost estimate is not available.
G. Unified Transportation
Fund:
“Alexi supports the creation of a Unified Transportation
Trust Fund, which would help achieve a balanced and targeted allocation of
federal funds.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/transportation-infrastructure
Cost: Unknown.
Note: It is unclear
whether the proposal would involve the pooling of existing transportation
monies or additional funding.
H. Livable
Communities:
“Alexi strongly supports the Livable Communities Act, which
encourages a coordination of federal housing, transportation, energy and
environmental policy and comprehensive regional planning to connect these
issues through sustainable development.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/transportation-infrastructure
Cost: $1.038 billion
($4.150 billion over five years).
Source: S. 1619 (111th
Congress), the Livable Communities Act of 2009.
Estimate is based on the text of the bill and a CBO report.
http://cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11868&zzz=41252
I. National
Infrastructure Fund:
“Alexi proposes the creation of a National Infrastructure
Fund that would directly fund large-scale infrastructure projects that are most
economically beneficial and efficient.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/transportation-infrastructure
Cost: $4.5 billion ($22.5
billion over five years).
Source: Giannoulias would
fund the program by cutting “tax breaks for big oil companies, which would make
$45 billion available over the next decade.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/transportation-infrastructure
J. Freight and Rail
Networks:
“Alexi supports efforts to untangle the freight rail
networks around Chicago through CREATE [Chicago Region Environmental And
Transportation Efficiency] – a federal, state and city partnership that would
invest in capital improvements to increase the efficiency of the region’s rail
infrastructure.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/transportation-infrastructure
Cost: Unknown.
Note: CREATE is a
public-private partnership that involves private freight railroads, the state
of Illinois, the City of Chicago, Metra, Amtrak, and the federal
government. CREATE is expected to invest
more than $2.5 billion in capital rail projects in the Chicago area. According to the CREATE website, “As of July
2009, the railroads have contributed $116 million, the State of Illinois has
secured $320 million, the City of Chicago has committed $30 million, and $90.6
million in Federal earmarks has been secured via the 2005-2009 Federal
Transportation Reauthorization, The Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient
Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).”
http://www.createprogram.org/faq.html#funded.
The project also received $133 million from the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act.
http://www.createprogram.org/JanuaryNewsletter.html.
The final cost to taxpayers will depend upon the ability of
coalition partners to fulfill their funding commitments as well as the problems
that transportation projects typically face, such as cost overruns.
K. High-speed Rail
Expansion:
“Alexi supports the expansion of high-speed passenger rail
by upgrading tracks and equipment across the country.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/transportation-infrastructure
“Alexi supports expanding the program that began under the
stimulus to create high-speed rail corridors.
Anyone who has flown between New York City and Washington DC knows that
hopping on the train is a far more hassle-free experience and takes about the
same amount of time. We can easily
replicate this model for regional travel throughout the United States.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/transportation-infrastructure
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The Department of
Transportation received $8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
funding for high-speed rail projects.
The Department notes that this is in addition to the $1 billion in
funding that the President has requested for each of the next five fiscal years.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/PubAffairs/dot18-10.pdf
It is unknown how much additional funding Giannoulias might
support.
L. Community Block
Grants:
“Alexi supports the full funding of the Community
Development Block Grant, an important program that will help strengthen cities
and towns throughout the nation by providing housing and creating jobs for
primarily low- to moderate-income people.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/urban-agenda
Cost: Unknown.
Source: According to the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Fiscal Year 2010 appropriation
for the Community Development Block Grant program was $4.45 billion.
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/budget/
According to the President’s Fiscal Year 2011 Budget, the
Administration provides “$4.4 billion for the Community Development Fund,
including full funding of Community Development Block Grant formula funds and
$150 million for Catalytic Investment Competition Grants to implement economic
development activities in targeted distressed communities.”
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy11/pdf/budget/housing.pdf
How much additional funding Giannoulias might support is unclear.
M. Broadband Access:
“Alexi will fight to increase funding for federal
initiatives such as the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program, which
provides grants to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure in
unserved and underserved areas.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/urban-agenda
Cost: $20 million ($100
million over five years).
Source: Related
legislation has been introduced in the form of H.R. 4545 (111th
Congress), the Rural Broadband Initiative Act of 2010. The text authorizes the funding.
Note: The American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorized the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration to implement the Broadband
Technology Opportunities Program – a $4.7 billion one-time competitive matching
grants program to expand broadband services to unserved and underserved areas,
improve broadband access for public safety agencies, stimulate the economy and
create jobs.
N. Community
Technology Centers:
“Alexi supports the proliferation of Community Technology
Centers, which offer resources to help bridge the digital divide through public
access to computers and the Internet.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/urban-agenda
Cost: Unknown.
Education, Science,
and Research: $13.002 billion
A. Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Teachers:
“Alexi will push to create a merit-based scholarship program
that would target 25,000 students pursuing both a K-12 teacher certification
and a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field.
In return, the students would have to commit to teach for at least five
years.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/economy#Future%20Works%20VI
Cost: $159 million ($794
million over five years).
Source: Related legislation
was introduced in the form of H.R. 362 (110th Congress), to
authorize science scholarships for educating mathematics and science teachers,
and for other purposes. The text
authorizes the funding.
B. Technology
Research Partnership:
“Create a $100 million federal Innovation Partnership
Investment Fund to match private donations that create opportunities for the
next generation of research at American universities.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/economy#Future%20Works%20VI
Cost: $20 million ($100
million over five years).
Note: NTUF assumes that
the funds would be spent over five years.
C. Double the Number
of Apprenticeships:
“Alexi wants to double the current 1 million apprenticeships
and would start by pushing legislation to provide a $1000 a year tax credit to
businesses for each apprenticeship they create.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/economy#Future%20Works%20VI
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The potential cost
of the program would depend upon whether the tax credit would be refundable or
not. NTUF is unable to estimate the cost
of the proposal because the level of refundability (and hence the impact on
outlays as opposed to revenues) is unknown.
D. Increase Federal
Research & Development Funding:
“As a Senator, Alexi will push to fully fund the American [sic] COMPETES legislation. The bill, which was pushed by President Bush
as part of his American Competitiveness Initiative, has passed both houses of
Congress and would double the research budgets of the National Science Foundation,
the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, and the National Institute of
Standards and Technology. Now Congress
must find the appropriations to fund the initiative.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/economy#Future%20Works%20VI
Cost: $4.591 billion
(first-year cost).
Source: Estimate is based
on data from a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, “America COMPETES
Act and the FY 2010 Budget.”
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40519.pdf
E. National “Green
Bank”:
“Create a national, public ‘Green Bank.’ A ‘Green Bank’ could open credit markets and
motivate businesses to invest in scientific and technological advances that
reduce our dependence on dirty fuels, spur new economic markets and jobs, and
strengthen our national security…. In the U.S. Senate, Alexi would work in
partnership with the private sector to create a funding mechanism that would
enable clean-energy technologies to be deployed on a large scale and become
commercially viable at current electricity costs.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/economy#Future%20Works%20VI
Cost: $123 million ($614
million over five years).
Source: A related
provision was included in S. 949 (111th Congress), the 21st
Century Energy Technology Deployment Act.
The bill would establish a Clean Energy Deployment Administration that
would be authorized to provide direct loans, loan guarantees, and letters of
credit for clean energy programs. Cost
is based on a CBO report for H.R. 2454 (111th Congress), the
American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.
http://cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10262&zzz=39057
F. Artists Corps:
“Alexi believes all students should have access to arts
education. He supports the creation of
an ‘Artists Corps’ of young artists who are trained to work in low-income schools
and communities.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/arts-culture
Cost: Unknown.
G. National Endowment
for the Arts (NEA):
“In the Senate, Alexi will be a strong voice for restoring
NEA funding to previous inflation-adjusted levels and ensuring that the arts
receive a fair increase each year.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/arts-culture
Cost: $104 million
(first-year cost).
Source: According to
Americans for the Arts, “If the NEA’s budget remained constant since 1992 and
was only adjusted for inflation, it would be $272 million in 2010, instead of
$167.5 million.” http://www.artsusa.org/pdf/get_involved/advocacy/research/2010/neaapprops_2010.pdf
H. Arts Funding:
“Alexi will support opportunities to fund the arts through
other mechanisms, including education funding bills and appropriate earmarks.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/arts-culture
Cost: Unknown.
I. Early Childhood
Care:
“…Alexi supports efforts to increase child care funding
through the Child Care and Development Fund.
The $2 billion in Recovery Act funds were a good start, but Alexi
supports restoring full funding in the federal budget to inflation-adjusted
levels.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/balancing-work-family
Cost: $805 million
(first-year cost).
Source: In Fiscal Year
2002, the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) received a total appropriation
of $4.817 billion. Adjusting that
funding for inflation to 2010 levels would mean that the CCDF would receive a
total appropriation of $5.849 billion.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the CCDF’s
Fiscal Year 2010 total appropriation was $5.044 billion. The difference of $805 million would be the
cost of the proposal for one year.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/olab/budget/2011/CCDF.pdf
http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl
J. Early Childhood
Education:
“Alexi supports increased funding for Head Start, Early Head
Start, and other early childhood education programs.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/urban-agenda
Cost: Unknown.
Note: Head Start received
$2.1 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds of which $1.1
billion went to the Early Head Start program. http://dhhs.gov/asfr/ob/docbudget/2010budgetinbriefr.html
It is unknown how much additional funding Giannoulias might
support.
K. Pell Grants:
“Alexi will work to make higher education more affordable by
supporting an expansion of Pell Grants and proposing new financial incentives
and tax credits to make sure any young person who works hard can afford to
attend school. Alexi supports indexing
the maximum Pell grant to the inflation rate plus 1 percent, and protecting it
from future cuts, by exempting the maximum Pell grant level from the
appropriations process.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/balancing-work-family
Cost: Unknown.
Note: H.R. 4872 (111th
Congress), the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, made
changes to several student loan programs, including the Pell Grant
program. According to CBO the changes, which
have been passed into law, “would increase direct spending by $21 billion over
the 2010–2014 period and $36 billion over the 2010– 2019 period.” It is possible that indexing Pell Grant
awards to inflation plus 1 percent would raise spending above CBO’s estimate
over the long term; however, NTUF is not able to estimate the potential costs.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/113xx/doc11379/AmendReconProp.pdf
L. Reform the No
Child Left Behind Act:
“No Child Left Behind had the right goals but the wrong
strategy and inadequate funding. It must
be reformed to reduce the focus on standardized tests, and provide a support
mechanism for teachers and schools that are underperforming.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/education
Cost: $80 million ($240
million over three years).
Source: S. 3558 (111th
Congress), the No Child Left Behind Reform Act.
The text authorizes the funding.
M. Fully Fund the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act:
“Alexi supports the bipartisan initiatives to require the
federal government to fully fund its share of the per-pupil cost of educating
children covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/education
Cost: $6.833 billion
($34.163 billion over five years).
Source: H.R. 3578 (111th
Congress), to amend part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
to provide full federal funding of such part.
The text of the bill increases the federal share over six years.
N. Youth Violence
Programs:
“Alexi is a strong supporter of after-school programs that
give kids a safe and creative outlet. We
must fully fund successful school programs, like Ceasefire, that help to keep
kids out of trouble.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/urban-agenda
Note: See Health Care –
Reduce Unwanted Pregnancies. H.R. 3312
(111th Congress), the Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing
the Need for Abortion, and Supporting Parents Act would increase funding for
various after-school programs.
O. Youth Promise Act:
“Alexi supports the Youth Promise Act which invests in
proven juvenile delinquency intervention and prevention programs.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/urban-agenda
Cost: $287 million ($1.437
billion over five years).
Source: H.R. 1064 (111th Congress), the Youth Prison
Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and
Education Act. A CBO estimate is
available. http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=11007&sequence=0&from=6
Energy, Agriculture,
and the Environment: $52.315 billion
A. Reduce Global
Warming
- Clean Energy Jobs:
- “Alexi supports efforts to create a
comprehensive, market-based system that puts a price on global warming
pollution and spurs investment in renewable energy and new clean energy jobs….Alexi
would push to provide a stable market signal to American renewable energy
companies by making the production and investment tax credits for renewable
energy permanent.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/energy-climate-change
- Renewable Energy Standard:
- “Illinois has been a national leader in
creating a stable market for renewables by passing a Renewable Energy Standard
that mandates 10 percent of energy produced in the state must be from renewable
sources by 2015, and 25 percent by 2025.
Alexi would push for a national Renewable Energy Standard that meets the
Illinois standard.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/energy-climate-change
- Increase Fuel Efficiency Standards:
- “Alexi supports efforts to increase
fuel efficiency standards to help reduce dependence on oil…. Alexi supports incentivizing the production
of vehicles that significantly exceed fuel economy standards.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/energy-climate-change
Cost: $51.54 billion
($257.7 billion over five years).
Source: Related legislation
in the form of H.R. 2454 (111th Congress), the American Clean Energy
and Security Act of 2009, has been adopted in the House. H.R. 2454 would establish a cap-and-trade
system to regulate carbon emissions. According
to CBO, “The bill would limit or cap the
quantity of certain greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted from facilities that
generate electricity and from other industrial activities over the 2012-2050
period. The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) would establish two separate regulatory initiatives known as
cap-and-trade programs—one covering emissions of most types of GHGs and one
covering hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). EPA
would issue allowances to emit those gases under the cap-and-trade programs. Some of those allowances would be auctioned by
the federal government, and the remainder would be distributed at no
charge.” The funds would support the
development of clean energy projects, establish a renewable electricity
standard, and provide loans to auto manufacturers to make capital improvements
that would lead to the production of vehicles that have greater fuel
efficiency, among other programs.
https://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/102xx/doc10262/hr2454.pdf
B. Farm Policy:
“Alexi will fight for programs that provide family farmers
with predictable and stable support in the face of natural disasters, market
fluctuations and corporate consolidation.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/rural-issues
“He favors stronger payment limitations and the closing of
loopholes that allow large corporate farms to evade current limits.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/rural-issues
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The 2008 Farm Bill
became law on June 18, 2008. According
to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), “the bill generally continues the
framework of the 2002 farm bill, revises payment limitations (tightening
certain limits and relaxing others), adjusts support prices for some
commodities, and creates a new revenue support program, in addition to the
traditional direct, counter-cyclical, and marketing loan programs for major
supported crops. The bill also adds new
stand-alone titles containing provisions to address horticulture and livestock
issues, including new mandatory funding for specialty crop block grants and to
support organic production; and provisions to address meat and poultry
inspection, country-of-origin labeling, and livestock competition. Other provisions include changes to the
current crop insurance program, a new provision for ongoing disaster assistance,
and expanded borrowing opportunities for beginning and socially disadvantaged
farmers.” http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34696_20081003.pdf
Congressional hearings to reauthorize the 2008 law have already
begun. http://lincoln.senate.gov/newsroom/2010-6-1-1.cfm
In his Fiscal Year 2011 Budget, the President proposed reducing
commodity payments to wealthy farmers.
CBO and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have significantly
different estimates of the possible savings.
http://www.cbo.gov/budget/factsheets/2010b/USDA-Policy.pdf
It is unknown how Giannoulias’s proposals might affect current
law or shape the upcoming reauthorization, if he were elected to the Senate.
C. Organic Crops
“As demand for local
and organic crops continues to increase, Alexi will push Congress to ensure
there are strict guidelines and oversight, and to help organic farmers afford
to certify their crops and obtain crop insurance.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/rural-issues
Cost: $50 million ($150 million over three years).
Source: S. 2758 (111th
Congress), the Growing Safe Food Act of 2009.
The text authorizes the funding.
D. Extend
Transmission Grid:
“Alexi wants to extend the transmission grid to America’s
rural areas so that these communities can efficiently export wind, solar, geothermal,
and bio-fuel resources to where energy is in greater demand.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/rural-issues
Cost: $125 million ($625
million over five years).
Source: S. 539 (111th
Congress), the Clean Renewable Energy and Economic Development Act. The text authorizes the funding.
E. Rural Revitalization:
“Alexi will support
congressional efforts to pass legislation that invests in the education of
tomorrow’s farmers and promotes farm ownership.
He supports the Rural Revitalization Program to attract and retain jobs
for young people in rural America.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/rural-issues
Cost: $600 million ($3.001 billion over five
years).
Source: Related
legislation has been introduced in the form of H.R. 3077 (111th
Congress), to authorize appropriations for Fiscal Years 2010 through 2014 to
provide assistance to foreign countries to promote food security and
agricultural development, to develop rural infrastructure and stimulate rural
economies, to improve emergency response to food crises, to amend the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, and for other purposes.
The cost is based on a CBO estimate for the Senate companion bill, S.
384, and the text of the bill. It
excludes funding for the bilateral agriculture programs.
http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=10105&sequence=0&from=6
Federal Government
Reform: $849 million
A. Budget – Pay As
You Go (PAY-GO) Budgeting:
“Institute ‘pay as you go’ budgeting. No American family would survive if it
budgeted like the U.S. government. Alexi
supports PAY-GO as a way to ensure that every new spending bill must be offset
by savings or increased revenue elsewhere.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/economy#Future%20Works%20IV
Cost: Unknown.
Note: On February 12,
2010, the President signed H.J. Res. 45 into law. Title
I of the legislation was the Statutory Pay-as-You-Go Act of 2010, which
requires Congress to find offsets for any legislation that would lead to
increases in direct spending or decreases in revenue. However, Congress often
moves to waive PAY-GO rules to when considering various pieces of legislation.
It is unclear how Giannoulias’s proposal might alter current law.
B. Budget – Line-item Veto:
“Alexi supports a line-item veto authority that passes the
constitutional test – it would empower the president to submit items to be
rescinded for 45 days after a spending bill has been signed into law, and then
give Congress 25 days to vote the rescissions up or down without amendments.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/federalbudget
Cost:
Unknown.
Note: Any savings would
depend upon how the President chooses to exercise this new authority and
whether or not Congress voted to sustain or overturn any vetoed items.
C. Election Reform:
“Alexi will push for a federal financing system that is
suitable for the 21st century. As a
start, he will co-sponsor Senator Durbin’s Fair Elections Now Act, which tilts
the power away from wealthy special interests and empowers every citizen to
play a bigger role in the electoral process.”
Cost: $850 million
(first-year cost).
Source: Senator Durbin is
the sponsor of S. 752 (111th Congress), the Fair Elections Now
Act. The estimate is based on
information from Fair Elections Now. http://fairelectionsnow.org
D. Lobbying Disclosure
Database:
“Alexi will push to reform the lobbyist disclosure database
by making it fully searchable so that it’s clear who has lobbied for specific
pieces of legislation, and how much money they have spent on those activities.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/reforming-washington#Part%203
Cost: Unknown.
E. Congressional Pay
Raises:
“Congress should not pass pay increases for itself until it
addresses the federal deficits that threaten to cripple our economy and burden
future generations.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/reforming-washington#Part%203
Cost: -$3 million
(first-year savings).
Source: S. 3244 (111th
Congress), a bill to provide that Members of Congress shall not receive a cost
of living adjustment in pay during Fiscal Year 2011. Estimate is based on data from the Office of
Personnel Management.
F. Government Data
Online:
“Alexi supports mandating that all three branches of
government make publicly available data available online in an easily
searchable format.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/reforming-washington#Part%206
Cost: $2 million ($5
million over three years).
Source: H.R. 2392 (111th
Congress), the Government Information Transparency Act, would require OMB “to
adopt a single data standard for: (1) collection, analysis, and dissemination
of business and financial information for use by private sector entities in
accordance with this Act for information required to be reported to the federal
government; and (2) use by agencies for federal financial information.”
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h.r.02392:
The adoption of a single data standard could lead to
administrative savings but states “any such savings would be small over the
next five years.” http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=10462&sequence=0&from=6
G. Spending
Transparency:
“In the U.S. Senate, he would broaden the online, real-time
tracking system that is part of the Recovery Act to cover all U.S. government
spending, and fight to change the government’s definition of ‘public
information’ to ensure that all publicly released data is also put online in an
easy-to-download format. He also
supports efforts to post all legislation online in final form for 72 hours
prior to voting so that the public can read it in its entirety.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/economy#Future%20Works%20IV
Cost: Unknown.
Note: Related legislation
has been introduced in the form of H.R. 6052 (111th Congress), a
bill to require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to establish
and maintain a website to track the expenditure of government funds; and, in
the form of S. 1772 (111th Congress), a bill to require that all
legislative matters be available and fully scored by CBO 72 hours before
consideration by any subcommittee or committee of the Senate or on the floor of
the Senate. Cost estimates are not
available for either bill.
Health Care: $4.585 billion
A. Public Option:
“Alexi supports the creation of a public health insurance
option that consumers would be able to purchase on a health-insurance exchange.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/arts-culture
Cost: $533 million ($1.60 billion over five years).
Source: H.R. 5808 (111th
Congress), to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to establish
a public health insurance option.
Estimate is based on the text of the bill and CBO data.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/116xx/doc11689/Stark_Letter-HR_5808-07-22.pdf
B. Paid Family Leave:
“Alexi would like to see all states institute a paid family
leave program. In the U.S. Senate, he
will support efforts that help states to test and implement new programs that
meet basic national standards.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/balancing-work-family
Cost: Unknown.
Note: Related legislation
has been introduced in the form of S. 3680 (111th Congress), the
Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act. A cost
estimate is currently unavailable.
C. Reduce Unwanted
Pregnancies:
“Alexi also supports more funding for preventive initiatives
aimed at reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies, including greater access
to contraceptives that curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and
comprehensive sex education programs that teach safe sex methods.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/womens-issues
Cost: $3.903 billion (first-year cost).
Source: H.R. 3312 (111th
Congress), the Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing the Need for
Abortion, and Supporting Parents Act. The
text authorizes appropriations to increase funding for various education, after-school,
and pregnancy-prevention programs.
D. Preventive Care
for Women:
“He will also work to ensure preventive care and early
detection programs, which include things like mammograms and pap smears, are
easily accessible.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/womens-issues
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act authorizes $45 million for Fiscal Years 2010
through 2014 for women’s breast health awareness. Mammography and breast cancer screening is
considered as preventive care under Section 2713 of the bill.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/113xx/doc11307/Specified_Authorizations_HR3590.pdf
It is unclear how much additional funding Giannoulias would
support beyond this level.
E. Domestic Violence
Services:
“Alexi supports efforts to raise awareness and fund programs
so victims can get help early on, train medical professionals in domestic
violence services and response, develop best practices to combat and prevent
violent acts, and demand tougher laws against those who commit violence.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/womens-issues
Cost: $149 million ($745 million over five years).
Source: H.R. 4116 (111th
Congress), a bill to reauthorize the Family Violence Prevention and Services
Act, and for other purposes. Estimate is
based on the text of the bill and budget data.
Homeland Security and
Law Enforcement: $2 million
A. Immigration:
“Alexi believes that we should place the nation’s 12 million
undocumented immigrants on a responsible path to citizenship. He supports a plan that requires undocumented
workers to pay a fine for entering the country illegally, learn English, pay
taxes and wait in line to become citizens.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/immigration
Cost: Unknown.
Note: S. 2611 (109th
Congress), the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, would have created
a process for long-time illegal aliens to gain citizenship. CBO estimates that the bill would have
increased mandatory spending for federal benefit programs such as Medicaid,
Social Security, Medicare, and Food Stamps by $12.9 billion over five
years. In addition, enforcement and
border security provisions would have cost $25.2 billion over five years.
http://cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=7501&zzz=34050
NTUF is uncertain to what degree Giannoulias’s plan would reflect
the provisions of S. 2611.
B. Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors
(DREAM) Act:
“Alexi supports the bipartisan [Development, Relief and
Education for Alien Minors] DREAM Act to provide certain undocumented immigrant
students the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency if they have
graduated from U.S. high schools, are of good moral character, and have been in
the country continuously for at least five years.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/immigration
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The DREAM Act would adjust the status of certain
undocumented alien children to conditional legal permanent resident status if
they meet specific criteria. In the 108th
Congress, CBO estimated that S. 1545, the DREAM Act, would have a minimal cost
over the first five years, but would cost upwards of $15 million a year for
increased Medicaid and Food Stamp expenses for which the children would become
eligible. Given the recent legislative
changes to the federal student loan program and the changes made to Medicaid in
the Patient Protection and Care Act, it is uncertain what the current cost of
this legislation might be.
http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=4981&type=0
C. Federal Hate
Crimes:
“Alexi would work to pass the Matthew Shepard Act, which
would expand the federal hate crimes law to include crimes motivated by a
victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or
disability.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/lgbt-equality
Cost: $2 million ($10
million over five years).
Source: H.R. 1913 (111th
Congress), the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. Cost estimate is for the bill as ordered
reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on April 23, 2009.http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=10098&sequence=0&from=6
National Security and
International Relations: -$36 million
(savings)
A. Cultural
Diplomacy:
“Unfortunately, our resources for cultural diplomacy are at
their lowest level in a decade. As Senator,
Alexi would work to reverse this trend by improving and expanding
public-private partnerships that provide cultural and arts exchanges throughout
the world.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/arts-culture
Cost: Unknown.
Note: Section 211 of H.R.
2410 (111th Congress), the Foreign Relations Authorization Act,
Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011, designates the Secretary of State as the person
responsible for coordinating the interagency process in public diplomacy and
“[d]irects the Secretary to establish a working group of the heads of certain
federal agencies and seek to convene such group quarterly.”
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h.r.02410:
CBO estimates that this
provision would cost $1 million a year. http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=10260&sequence=0&from=6
It is unclear how much additional funding Giannoulias would
support above this level.
B. Support for
Israel:
“Alexi is committed to helping Israel, our greatest ally in
the Middle East, maintain its qualitative military edge.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/foreign-policy#Israel
Cost: Unknown.
Note: The CRS reports, “For
FY2011, the Obama Administration requested $3 billion in FMF [Foreign Military
Financing] to Israel. According to the
State Department’s FY 2011 budget justification for Foreign Operations, ‘U.S.
assistance will help ensure that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge
over potential threats, and prevent a shift in the security balance of the
region. U.S. assistance is also aimed at
ensuring for Israel the security it requires to make concessions necessary for
comprehensive regional peace.’”
Additionally, the U.S. and Israel announced an agreement earlier this
year for Israel to purchase 20 F-35 fighters.
The planes would be purchases through the Foreign Military Financing
program. It is uncertain how much
additional funding Giannoulias would support.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33222.pdf
C. Repeal “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell”:
“…Alexi supports the repeal of the military’s ‘don’t ask,
don’t tell’ policy. He does not believe
that there needs to be further study or review – the policy should be
immediately repealed.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/lgbt-equality
Cost: -$36 million (-$180
million over five years).
Source: Related
legislation has been introduced in the form of H.R. 1283 (111th
Congress), the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009. A
University of California report estimates the cost of discharging service
members and then recruiting and training their replacements to have been $364
million over the first decade of the policy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021302373.html
This issue may be rendered
moot by recent court action.
Veterans: Unknown
A. Veterans Loan
Programs:
“Alexi will work to expand the VA [Veterans Administration]
loan programs so that veterans have the opportunity to open a small business or
buy a home.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/veterans-military-families
Cost: Unknown.
Note: Related legislation
has been introduced in the form of H.R. 294 (111th Congress), the
Veteran-Owned Small Business Promotion Act of 2009, which would among other
things reinstate the veteran-owned small business loan program. A cost estimate is not available.
B. Veterans Health
Care:
“Alexi will fight to fully fund the [Veterans
Administration] hospital system so that all service members have access to
quality health care.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/veterans-military-families
- Mental Health Services:
- “Alexi will work to make sure that
veterans have improved mental health care at every stage of military service,
from providing improved pre-deployment screenings to working with the VA to
provide more support for families and enhanced mental health treatment upon
return home.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/veterans-military-families
- Traumatic Brain Injuries:
- “Alexi will push for better screening
for brain injuries, and will work with the VA to provide better resources for
service members suffering cognitive injuries to make sure they are provided the
ongoing care they deserve.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/veterans-military-families
- Expand Counseling Services:
- “Alexi supports a stronger emphasis on
counseling for vets and their families through Vet Centers, and would support
their expansion.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/veterans-military-families
Cost: Unknown.
Source: S. 1963 (111th
Congress), the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, became
law (PL 111-163) on May 5, 2010. Based
on an article posted on military.com (http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,205283,00.html),
NTUF estimates the cost of the bill to be $3.7 billion over five years. It is unknown how much additional spending
Giannoulias would support for veterans health services including the items
listed above, all of which are addressed in S. 1963.
C. Electronic Claims
Processing:
“To ensure that all VA claims decisions are consistent and
efficient, Alexi supports the [sic] transitioning
the benefit claims process from a paper to an electronic system and will work
with the VA to improve the training and accountability of VA claims workers.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/veterans-military-families
Cost: Unknown.
Note: In a speech to the
American Legion Annual Convention on August 31, 2010, Veterans Affairs
Secretary Eric Shinseki stated, “In the last 18 months, VBA expanded its
workforce by over 3,500 people, began accepting on-line applications for
initial disability benefits, initiated an innovation competition, launched over
30 pilot programs and initiatives to identify best practices, and invested over
$138 million in a paperless Veterans benefits management system that will be
deployed in fiscal year 2012…. The budget also includes $145.3 million in
information technology (IT) funds to support the ongoing development of a
smart, paperless claims processing system.
We intend to break the back of the backlog this year.” http://www1.va.gov/opa/speeches/2010/08_31_2010.asp
It is unknown how much additional funding Giannoulias might
support.
Miscellaneous: Unknown
A. Social Security:
“He believes workers deserve a basic level of security after
a lifetime of work, and will work to strengthen Social Security, fight
dangerous privatization schemes, and protect workers pension and retirement
systems.”
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/issues/supporting-american-workers
Cost: Unknown.
Note: Related legislation
has been introduced in the form of H.R. 1276 (111th Congress), to
amend title II of the Social Security Act to ensure that the receipts and
disbursements of the Social Security trust funds are not included in a unified
Federal budget and to provide that Social Security contributions are used to
protect Social Security solvency by mandating that Trust Fund monies cannot be
diverted to create private accounts. A
cost estimate is not available.
PDF
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