December SnapshotThe National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF) presents a monthly overview of the bills we scored in December, 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 NumbersDuring the month of December, NTUF analysts scored 228 bills to determine their impact on the federal budget. Of those, 145 were House bills with 66 introduced in the past month. In the Senate, 83 bills were scored, including 28 bills introduced in December. The 145 House bills scored in NTUF in December would increase spending by $102.7 billion a year, excluding offsetting provisions. The largest spending increase proposals include: - H.R. 2862, to create a jobs fund with repatriated tax dollars, which would authorize $180 billion in spending over two years.
 H.R. 2828, to award employment grants to local governments and community-based organizations, resulting in $25.3 billion in new spending over four years.- H.R. 2488, to provide volunteer first responders with a refundable tax credit at a five-year cost of $3.6 billion.
House savings legislation includes: - H.R. 2309, to reform benefits and regulations associated with the United State Postal Service at a savings of $10.5 billion over five years.
- H.R. 2774, to repeal the Legal Services Corporation Act at a savings of $420 million in the first year.
- H.R. 3539, to terminate the Hope VI Program within the Department of Housing and Urban Development, saving $205 million in the first year.
House Bills Scored by NTUF in December
(in billions of dollars) | | | Number of Bills | Net Annualized Cost/Savings | Average Cost/Savings | Average Number of Sponsors | | Spending Increase Bills | 38 | $105.4 | $2.8 | 11.9 | | Spending Cut Bills | 3 | ($2.7) | ($0.9) | 5.7 | | No Net Cost Bills | 95 | $0 | $0 | 12.9 | | Excluded* | 9 | N/A | N/A | 14.3 | | Total | 145 | $102.7 | | |
* Excluded Bills are not applicable under BillTally Methodology
Source: NTUF BillTally System |
Senators proposed $59.6 billion in net savings, excluding offsetting provisions. The largest spending increase proposals include: - S. 1597, to repair and improve elementary and secondary school buildings at a five-year cost of $30 billion.
- S. 1978, to award community employment grants and fund community college modernization, resulting in $5 billion in new spending over five years.
- S. 1222, to require greater government transparency and data standardization, costing $600 million over five years.
Senate savings legislation includes: - S. 1931, to extend the payroll tax cut and reduce the number of federal employees, saving $70 billion over five years.
- S. 1867, to authorize the nation's national defense activities for FY 2012 at a savings of $43.2 billion in one year.
- S. 18, to repeal the 1099 reporting requirement on small business purchases over $600 at a net savings of $39 billion over five years.
Senate Bills Scored by NTUF in December
(in billions of dollars) | | | Number of Bills | Net Annualized Cost/Savings | Average Cost/Savings | Average Number of Sponsors | | Spending Increase Bills | 26 | $7.5 | $0.3 | 5.0 | | Spending Cut Bills | 5 | ($67.1) | ($13.4) | 14.8 | | No Net Cost Bills | 50 | $0 | $0 | 3.9 | | Excluded* | 2 | N/A | N/A | 5.0 | | Total | 83 | ($59.6) | | |
* Excluded Bills are not applicable under BillTally Methodology
Source: NTUF BillTally System |
Know Your Cut BillsWith the addition of the three House and five Senate cost savings bills scored or updated in December, NTUF’s savings bill list for the 112th Congress now contains 215 bills. The three House savings bills would cut $2.7 billion. The Senate’s five bills would reduce spending at an annualized rate of $67.1 billion. All told, the House has proposed 133 cut bills with an annualized savings of $539.3 billion. The Senate has proposed a total of 82 cut bills that could save taxpayers $784.8 billion annually. All totals exclude overlapping measures within each Chamber. The full spreadsheet can be accessed here.House StatsThe following sponsorship figures are based on the House bills that were scored by NTUF within the month of December (totals include both sponsors and cosponsors):Senate StatsThe following sponsorship figures are based on the Senate bills that were scored by NTUF within the month of December (totals include both sponsors and cosponsors):Friendship Circle Cosponsoring bills not only shows direct support for specific legislation but it can provide insight into national issues. Below are bills that had the most cosponsors in BillTally's three established bill categories. You can join the discussion with fellow citizens and policy experts at WashingtonWatch.com.Most Friended House Bills- Spending Increase Bill: H.R. 2954, Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2011 - 73 cosponsors - sponsored by Barbara Lee (D-CA)
- Spending Cut Bill: H.R. 2774, a bill to repeal the Legal Services Corporation Act - 10 cosponsors - sponsored by Austin Scott (R-GA)
- No Cost Bill: H.R. 3538, A bill to amend the Railway Labor Act to direct the National Mediation Board to apply the same procedures, including voting standards, to the direct decertification of a labor organization as is applied to elections to certify a representative, and for other purposes - 161 cosponsors - sponsored by John Mica (R-FL)
Most Friended Senate Bills | | Thank You!A huge thank you to all of you who made NTUF's year-end fundraising campaign a success. We appreciate your interest in our work. Also, thanks for all of the notes and kind words that you sent to Zeb, our intern. He enjoyed them, and he will be back in the office after his winter break is over. If you missed the year-end campaign, you can still support NTUF by making a tax-deductible contribution today. |
Additional Savings Bills ScoredBelow are some other savings bills that were scored in the last month (top savings bills are in the House and Senate Stats sections): - S. 1625 would reform benefits and regulations associated with the United State Postal Service ($10.5 billion five-year savings)
- S. 1231 would change how prison sentences can be commuted with good behavior ($60 million five-year savings)
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We Want You!NTUF is looking for spring and summer 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! |
About NTUF The National Taxpayers Union Foundation is a research and educational organization dedicated solely to helping citizens of all generations understand how tax policies, spending programs, and regulations at all levels affect them now and in the future. Through NTUF's timely information, analysis, and commentary, we're empowering citizens to actively engage in the fiscal policy debate and hold public officials accountable every day. NTUF is a 501(c)(3) research and education organization. Donations are deductible for personal income tax purposes. Please make a donation today to help further NTUF's mission of research and education! This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to aid or hinder the passage of any legislation or as a comment on any Member's fitness to serve. Cosponsor information obtained from GovTrack.us. 
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