NTUF Analysis: "Super Committee" Lawmakers Start Far Apart on Spending Reduction Ideas

The 12 panel members have legislative agendas whose individual impact on the budget would vary widely, from an annual cut in federal expenditures of just over $85 billion to a yearly increase of more than $1.15 trillion.

Key findings of NTUF’s BillTally analysis include:

•In the current Congress, the 12 panel Members have legislative agendas whose net effect ranges from a yearly average reduction in the budget of $85.0 billion (Kyl, R-AZ) to an annual increase in outlays of $1.157 trillion (Becerra, D-CA). The total for Becerra is primarily attributable to his cosponsorship of “single payer” health care reform legislation. Supporters of this bill have identified several tax increases – including surtaxes on the top two income brackets and higher payroll levies – to fund this legislation. •Each House Republican on the “Supercommittee” has sponsored or cosponsored legislation whose overall effect would reduce federal spending, at amounts between $41.3 billion (Upton, MI) and $43.0 billion (Hensarling, TX). However, these amounts are more moderate (by about one-third) than the net budget cut backed by the typical Member of their party in this Congress. •So far this year none of the three House Democrats named to the panel have sponsored or cosponsored a single bill whose net effect would shrink federal outlays. This is also true of one Senate Democrat (Max Baucus, MT). These lawmakers’ agendas differ from the trend within their own parties. An average House Democrat has sponsored $10.9 billion in cuts (more than offset by increases), while the average Democratic Senator has backed $12.9 billion in reductions. •All told, Super Committee appointees sponsored or cosponsored 18 non-overlapping bills whose gross savings (not accounting for any spending-increase bills they supported) added up to $89.6 billion a year. None of these 18 pieces of legislation have bipartisan support among the Super Committee Members, but three of those proposals have been introduced in both chambers and have the backing of GOP Senators and Representatives on the panel. The savings of these three “common bills” are estimated at $41.3 billion total. •Although Senate and House Republicans on the Super Committee could find agreement on this $41.3 billion spending reduction, its single biggest element involves repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – a move that Super Committee Democrats would oppose. •Two Senate Democrats (Kerry, MA, and Murray, WA) offered four spending reduction bills amounting to $629 million in cuts. While no GOP lawmakers on the panel cosponsored these pieces of legislation, two of them – a suspension of next year’s Congressional salary increase and cutbacks on Congressional printing, worth $10 million in combined savings – have attracted bipartisan interest in the past.

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