Taxpayers Tab

October Snapshot

The National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF) presents a monthly overview of the bills we scored in October, including cost estimates and sponsorship data. Please note that the estimates are preliminary and that NTUF revises estimates as new data becomes available. Links to each Member's BillTally report are for the previous Congress. For more information on how NTUF scores legislation, BillTally's methodology is available here.

By The Numbers

During the month of October, NTUF analysts scored 355 bills to determine their impact on the federal budget. Of those, 208 were House bills with 106 introduced in the past month. In the Senate, cost estimates were obtained for 147 bills, 54 of which were introduced in October.

The 208 House bills scored by NTUF in October would save $11.1 billion a year. Totals exclude offsetting provisions.

The Largest spending increase proposals include:

• H.R. 776, to require an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase of at least three percent for seniors at a first-year cost of $21.37 billion.
• H.R. 2590, to require either a annual COLA for disabled and retired individuals or a $250 one-time payout to recipients, resulting in $14.5 billion in new spending.
• H.R. 2705, to establish a global univeral basic education program, which would authorize $2 billion over five years.

House savings legislation includes:

• H.R. 1848, to institute a one percent federal spending reduction at a savings of $67 billion over two years.
• H.R. 2576, to return traditional calculation of income when applying for Medicaid eligibility at a net savings of $5.2 billion over five years.
• H.R. 3090, to eliminate the Economic Development Administration, saving $292 million.

Senators proposed $42.8 billion in spending reductions. Totals exclude offsetting provisions.

The largest spending increase proposals include:

• S. 1660, to ensure the jobs of certain teachers and first responders and to encouage the hiring of unemployed workers at a five-year cost of $172 billion.
• S. 1403, to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act programs, resulting in $42.45 billion in new spending over five years.
• S. 1723, to provide grants to states to protect the jobs of public school teachers, education staffs, and first responders, costing $34.99 billion over five years.

Senate savings legislation includes:

• S. 1476, to reduce the federal workforce by 15 percent at a savings of $300 billion over five years.
• S. 1316, to institute a one percent federal spending reduction at a savings of $67 billion over two years.
• S. 1378,  to return traditional calculation of income when applying for Medicaid eligibility at a net savings of $5.2 billion over five years.

Know Your Cut Bills

House Stats

• Most Bills Overall: 20 by Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL), and James McGovern (D-MA)
• Most Spending Bills: 11 by Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
• Most Cut Bills: 3 by Dan Burton (R-IN), John Duncan (R-TN), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), and Bill Huizenga (R-MI)
• Most No Cost Bills: 14 by Erik Paulsen (R-MN)

Senate Stats

• Most Bills Overall: 17 by Mark Begich (D-AK)
• Most Spending Bills: 7 by Thomas Harkin (D-IA) and Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
• Most Cut Bills: 20 Senators were each a sponsor of a single cut bill
• Most No Cost Bills: 12 by Mark Begich (D-AK) and Roy Blunt (R-MO)

Friendship Circle

Most Friended House Bills

• Spending Increase Bill: H.R. 27, Lumbee Recognition Act - 133 cosponsors - sponsored by Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
• Spending Cut Bill: H.R. 2059, a bill to prohibit funding to the United Nations Population Fund - 101 cosponsors - sponsored by Renee Ellmers (R-NC)
• No Cost Bill: H.R. 3200, Local Flexibility for Transit Assistance Act - 119  cosponsors - sponsored by Russ Carnahan (D-MO)

Most Friended Senate Bills

• Spending Increase Bill: S. 1621, Livable Communities Act of 2011 - 18 cosponsors - sponsored by Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
• Spending Cut Bill: S. 1316, One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2011 - 7 cosponsors - sponsored by Michael Enzi (R-WY)
• No Cost Bill: S. 1676, Buffett Rule Act of 2011 - 35 cosponsors - sponsored by John Thune (R-SD)

We Want You!

NTUF is looking for winter and spring associate policy analysts to participate in our internship program. Associates assist with BillTally research and other policy projects. Academic credit is possible. Email questions to ntuf@ntu.org. To apply visit our internship page. Join us and help keep a tab on Congress!

Missed an Issue of The Tab?

Read them online

Issue 33 - Sept 27

Issue 32 - Sept 20

Issue 31 - Sept 13

Issue 30 - Sept 6
August Snapshot