[Analytical Perspectives]
[Other Technical Presentations]
[20. Outlays to Public, Net and Gross]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
[[Page 379]]
20. OUTLAYS TO THE PUBLIC, NET AND GROSS
Table 20-1 shows net and gross outlays, and the relationship between
them, for all major agencies. Outlays are the measure of Government
spending. The budget records outlays when the Government makes payment
for such things as Federal employee salaries, the purchase of supplies
and equipment, grants to state and local governments, and benefits to
individuals. The Government's gross outlays are the sum of all these
payments.
The outlay totals in the budget, however whether for the Government as
a whole or for agencies, programs, and functions (such as national
defense) are net outlays, unless otherwise specified. Gross outlays, as
the table shows, are the net outlays plus offsetting collections and
receipts from the public. These constitute the income the Government
receives from its business-like enterprises and other market activities
with the public, such as the proceeds from selling postage stamps, the
fees charged for admittance to recreational areas, and the proceeds from
selling land or natural resources. The budget refers to them as
``offsetting,'' because they are subtracted from gross outlays rather
than added to taxes and other receipts resulting from governmental
activities. The budget focuses on net outlay totals in order to show
outlays and receipts that measure governmental activity rather than a
combination of governmental and market activity. As a result, the budget
totals represent the amount of resources allocated and distributed by
political decision making rather than by private choice and the market
mechanism. The surplus is calculated by subtracting total outlays from
total receipts. It would be the same if offsetting collections and
receipts were included in total receipts and subtracted from gross
outlays. This would hold true if outlays exceeded receipts, resulting in
a deficit.
The table shows that offsetting receipts and collections are
relatively much more important for some agencies than others. The
outlays for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are negative
amounts, because its collections, mostly insurance premiums, currently
exceed its payments. The amounts for ``Allowances'' cover certain
transactions that are expected to increase or decrease outlays but are
not, for various reasons, attributed to any specific agency. The amounts
labeled ``undistributed offsetting receipts'' are deducted from the
Government-wide outlay totals but not from any specific agency. Chapter
4, ``User Fees and Other Collections,'' in this volume discusses
offsetting collections and receipts in more detail.
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Table 20-1. TOTAL OUTLAYS, NET AND GROSS OF OFFSETTING COLLECTIONS AND RECEIPTS FROM THE PUBLIC, BY AGENCY, 1999-2001
(In millions of dollars)
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1999 2000 2001
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Offsetting Offsetting Offsetting
Collections Outlays Collections Outlays Collections Outlays
(Department or other unit) Net and Gross of Net and Gross of Net and Gross of
Outlays Receipts Collections Outlays Receipts Collections Outlays Receipts Collections
from the from the from the from the from the from the
Public Public Public Public Public Public
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Legislative Branch....................
Legislative Branch.................... 2,609 176 2,785 3,197 197 3,394 3,022 203 3,225
Judicial Branch....................... 3,790 55 3,845 4,378 53 4,431 4,555 54 4,609
Agriculture........................... 62,834 17,944 80,778 71,096 21,281 92,377 64,940 22,028 86,968
Commerce.............................. 5,036 1,074 6,110 8,134 1,145 9,279 5,407 1,322 6,729
Defense Military...................... 261,380 9,199 270,579 277,476 9,174 286,650 277,484 8,817 286,301
Education............................. 32,436 2,829 35,265 36,444 1,138 37,582 38,155 2,242 40,397
Energy................................ 16,048 4,959 21,007 15,269 5,038 20,307 16,365 5,120 21,485
Health and Human Services............. 359,701 23,511 383,212 387,339 23,689 411,028 421,395 25,490 446,885
Housing and Urban Development......... 32,734 6,696 39,430 30,076 9,401 39,477 32,277 2,875 35,152
Interior.............................. 7,815 2,920 10,735 8,397 2,818 11,215 8,496 2,655 11,151
Justice............................... 18,317 1,826 20,143 18,536 1,997 20,533 22,368 2,414 24,782
Labor................................. 32,461 1,963 34,424 33,986 2,268 36,254 38,604 2,553 41,157
State................................. 6,456 403 6,859 8,402 542 8,944 8,831 487 9,318
Transportation........................ 41,829 400 42,229 45,925 442 46,367 49,042 713 49,755
Treasury.............................. 386,698 14,688 401,386 388,412 16,475 404,887 388,374 17,746 406,120
Veteran Affairs....................... 43,168 3,619 46,787 46,723 3,565 50,288 46,442 3,109 49,551
Corps of Engineers.................... 4,191 426 4,617 4,498 334 4,832 2,901 1,311 4,212
Other Department of Defense Civil..... 32,014 11 32,025 33,008 77 33,085 33,970 20 33,990
Environmental Protection Agency....... 6,750 356 7,106 7,040 307 7,347 7,453 300 7,753
Executive Office of the President..... 417 1 418 267 3 270 288 3 291
Federal Emergency Management Agency... 4,039 1,435 5,474 3,198 1,560 4,758 2,222 1,771 3,993
General Services Administration....... -46 288 242 525 247 772 475 278 753
International Assistance Programs..... 10,059 13,631 23,690 10,498 12,310 22,808 12,207 12,182 24,389
National Aeronautics and Space 13,664 848 14,512 13,447 956 14,403 13,676 875 14,551
Administration.......................
National Science Foundation........... 3,283 0 3,283 3,596 0 3,596 3,972 0 3,972
Office of Personnel Management........ 47,515 6,161 53,676 49,352 6,680 56,032 51,829 7,198 59,027
Small Business Administration......... 57 1,254 1,311 107 1,025 1,132 675 529 1,204
Social Security Administration........ 419,787 4,814 424,601 439,465 5,006 444,471 455,595 5,194 460,789
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. -5,026 4,684 -342 -1,047 2,645 1,598 -1,246 1,295 49
Postal Service........................ 1,050 61,957 63,007 1,598 63,998 65,596 540 67,421 67,961
Other Independent Agencies............ 11,051 14,328 25,379 13,450 11,993 25,443 14,920 9,786 24,706
Allowances............................ 0 0 0 843 0 843 -993 8,792 7,799
Undistributed Offsetting Receipts..... -159,077 4,852 -154,225 -174,073 5,626 -168,447 -189,208 ........... -189,208
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Total Outlays......................... 1,703,040 207,308 1,910,348 1,789,562 211,990 2,001,552 1,835,033 214,783 2,049,816
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