| 3.23.22

Funding the Government for 2015 AKA The "CRomnibus" (H.R. 83)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 83?

(Updated December 29, 2018)

This bill was enacted on December 16, 2014

This bill would fund the operations of the federal government until September 2015 based off of previously established continuing resolutions and budgets. It essentially maintains spending levels at those set forth in the Paul Ryan-Patty Murray bipartisan budget deal from 2013, with a alterations.

The most notable change is in the budget for the Department of Homeland Security would only be funded through February. The incoming 114th Congress will need to pass legislation funding DHS through the remainder of the year.

Argument in favor

This bill is far from perfect, but the government needs to be funded in order to function. The next Congress will have the opportunity to make changes, as this plan only funds the government until September FY2015.

Argument opposed

There is a lot of poorly crafted policy in this bill because it was crafted simply to avoid a government shutdown. Is there really such thing as compromise when both parties use brinksmanship to get their way?

Impact

Tax payers, federal employees and contractors, members of the armed forces, federal grant recipients, the entire federal government.

Cost of H.R. 83

The CBO estimates that total outlays in the 2015 fiscal year from this legislation would be over $1.1 trillion.

Additional Info

In-Depth:

Several key points of conflict emerged during the budgeting process, mostly stemming from the past legislative and executive actions of the Obama administration, among other controversies.

The President’s executive orders announced in late 2014, offers legal status to approximately 5 million undocumented immigrants — something that some members of Congress viewed as an unconstitutional overreach. As a result, Republicans have only allotted funding for the Department of Homeland Security — which enforces immigration law — until February of 2015. This will give the incoming Republican 114th Congress an opportunity to craft their own immigration overhaul.

One of the key legislative reforms that was enacted during the President’s first term was the Dodd-Frank Act, that reshaped the U.S. banking sector in the hopes of reducing the risk of a future financial crisis. This spending bill eases rules that forced banks to take full responsibility for the risk of losses in derivatives trading, allowing banks to keep those trading units in parts of the business that would be backed up by the federal government in the event of insolvency.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been a focus of controversy since it was revealed that the agency had methodically targeted conservative groups for additional scrutiny as they applied for tax exempt status. The IRS would have its budget cut by $345.6 million.

While there is no direct language in this bill denying funds for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), it does not increase the budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and reduces the IRS’ budget. HHS plays a critical role in delivering health care and maintaining the federal insurance exchange, while the IRS collects taxes on insurance plans and is tasked with enforcing the individual mandate.

Of Note:

From the Wall Street Journal:

Three million employees of the Department of the Defense - including active-duty, civilian employees and reservists - will receive a 1% raise.
A pay freeze will prevent the vice president and senior political appointees from receiving raises.
There will be a significant increase in the amount of political donations individuals can make to national party committees.
The District of Columbia’s marijuana legalization implementation will be banned from using federal and local funds - effectively blocking it.
Bars the use of funds for transferring or releasing detainees at Guantanamo Bay into the U.S.
States can receive an exemption from the requirement for whole-grain foods in school lunches as long as they can demonstrate a hardship in the procurement process.
Funding for 38 F-35 Joint Strike Fights would be included, which is nine more than the Pentagon obtained the prior fiscal year.
The ban on federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or endangerment of the mother’s life would continue.
$618.8 million in funding for Israeli programs, including $175 million for Iron Dome would be included. This is in addition to the recent $225 million appropriation for Iron Dome.
The IRS budget cuts would also eliminate any funding for the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

From the Cato Institute:

$64 billion in funding for military operations, including for $5 billion for the battle against ISIS would be included.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will see its funding cut by $60 million from the previous year.
Funding for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository would be continued.
A moratorium on state and local internet taxes would be extended for at least one year.

From Reason:

Obamacare’s risk corridors - which essentially bailout the insurance industry - are required to be budget neutral. While the Obama administration can still pay insurers, they have to be paid from user fees rather than a government fund.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) budget will not increase.
$5.4 billion for operations fighting Ebola would be authorized.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would see a funding increase of $37 million.
$3.2 billion for improving the federal government’s weather prediction capabilities would be authorized.
The Department of Energy (DOE) would receive $141 million for a “next generation computing” program.