Taxpayer's Tab: NTUF Looks At Research Conducted in September

September Snapshot

The National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF) presents a monthly overview of the bills we scored in September, 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 September, NTUF analysts scored 384 bills to determine their impact on the federal budget. Of those, 274 were House bills with 126 introduced in the past month. In the Senate, 110 bills were able to be scored, including 55 bills sponsored in September.

The 274 House bills scored by NTUF in September would increase spending by $724.5 billion a year. Totals exclude offsetting provisions.

The largest spending increase proposals include:

• H.R. 1200, to establish universal health care programs in states at a cost of $3.98 trillion over five years.
• H.R. 870, to fund new jobs programs targeted at the needs of those already unemployed and disadvantaged youth, resulting in $503 billion in new spending.
• H.R. 2948, to allocate more tax dollars toward improving America's education infrastructure, which would authorize $15 billion over three years.

House savings legislation include:

• H.R. 371, to allow health care insurers to sell plans across states lines at a savings of $155 billion over five years.
• H.R. 2560, to institute a discretionary spending cap and require a balanced federal budget, saving $111 billion over one year.
• H.R. 235, to cut 48 spending provisions through program terminations and reductions at a net savings of $39.6 billion in one year.

Senators proposed $937.9 billion in new spending. Totals exclude offsetting provisions.

The largest spending increase proposals include:

• S. 915, to establish state-based health programs with the goal of universal coverage at a five-year cost of $3.97 trillion.
• S. 1517, to fund a modern Works Progress Administration to generate new jobs, resulting in $250 billion in new spending over five years
• S. 1597, to authorize building improvement projects for primary and secondary public schools, costing $15 million over five years.

Only one Senate bill was scored as a spending cut measure during the month of September, S. 1583. That legislation would rescind $60 million designated for the Community Development Fund.

Know Your Cut Bills

With the addition of the 11 House and one Senate cost savings bills scored in September, NTUF's savings bill list for the 112th Congress now contains 159 bills. The 11 House savings bills, excluding overlapping measures, would cut $202.9 billion. The Senate's one bill would cut $60 million, also excluding overlapping measures. The full spreadsheet can be accessed here.

House Stats

The following sponsorship figures are based on the House bills that were scored by NTUF within the month of September (totals include both sponsors and cosponsors):

• Most Bills Overall: 25 by Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
• Most Spending Bills: 11 by Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
• Most Cut Bills: 5 by Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Tom McClintock (R-CA)
• Most No Cost Bills: 16 by Laura Richardson (D-CA)

Senate Stats

The following sponsorship figures are based on the Senate bills that were scored by NTUF within the month of September (totals include both sponsors and cosponsors):

• Most Bills Overall: 36 by Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
• Most Spending Bills: 8 by Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
• Most Cut Bills: 1 by Roy Blunt (R-MO), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), and James Inhofe (R-OK)
• Most No Cost Bills: 10 by Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and Mike Johanns (R-NE)

Friendship Circle

Cosponsorship data indicates a Member's support for specific legislation and can also provide insights into trending policy issues. Below are bills that had the most cosponsors in BillTally's three established bill categories. You can discuss this legislation with your fellow citizens at WashingtonWatch.com.

Most Friended House Bills

• Spending Increase Bill: H.R. 589, Emergency Unemployment Compensation Expansion Act of 2011 - 89 cosponsors - sponsored by Barbara Lee (D-CA)
• Spending Cut Bill: H.R. 371, Health Care Choice Act of 2011 - 150 cosponsors - sponsored by Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
• No Cost Bill: H.R. 1796, Reuniting Families Act - 78 cosponsors - sponsored by Michael Honda (D-CA)

Most Friended Senate Bills

• Spending Increase Bill: S. 1280, Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011 - 30 cosponsors - sponsored by Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
• Spending Cut Bill: S. 1583, Storm Shelter Tax Relief Act - 3 cosponsors - sponsored by James Inhofe (R-OK)
• No Cost Bill: S. 1438, Regulation Moratorium and Jobs Preservation Act of 2011 - 26 cosponsors - sponsored by Ron Johnson (R-WI)

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

Issue 29 - Aug 30