[Analytical Perspectives]
[Other Technical Presentations]
[21. Outlays to the Public, Net and Gross]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]
[[Page 403]]
21. OUTLAYS TO THE PUBLIC, NET AND GROSS
Table 21-1 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 government, 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, equal the net outlays plus offsetting receipts and
collections from the public. Offsetting receipts and collections
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
collections from the public resulting from the exercise of the
Government's sovereign or governmental powers to levy or impose taxes,
fees, fines, and the like. The table shows that offsetting receipts and
collections are more important for some agencies than for others.
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
Governmental decision making rather than by private choice and the
market mechanism. The surplus or deficit is calculated by subtracting
total outlays from total receipts. It would be exactly the same if
offsetting collections and receipts were to be included in total
receipts and not subtracted from gross outlays.
In this table, negative net outlays occur when collections exceed
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 5, ``User
Charges and Other Collections,'' in this volume discusses offsetting
collections and receipts in more detail.
Table 21-1. TOTAL OUTLAYS, NET AND GROSS OF OFFSETTING COLLECTIONS AND RECEIPTS FROM THE PUBLIC, BY AGENCY, 2002-2004
(In millions of dollars)
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2002 2003 2004
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Outlays Outlays Outlays
Offsetting Gross of Offsetting Gross of Offsetting Gross of
(Department or Other Unit) Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections
Net and and Net and and Net and and
Outlays Receipts Receipts Outlays Receipts Receipts Outlays Receipts Receipts
from the from the from the from the from the from the
Public Public Public Public Public Public
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Legislative Branch.................... 3,218 98 3,316 3,961 77 4,038 4,336 71 4,407
Judicial Branch....................... 4,823 77 4,900 5,419 36 5,455 5,663 76 5,739
Executive Branch......................
Agriculture........................ 68,731 19,011 87,742 72,773 21,021 93,794 74,124 19,021 93,145
Commerce........................... 5,314 1,485 6,799 5,790 1,856 7,646 5,778 1,826 7,604
Defense - Military................. 331,951 11,548 343,499 358,155 10,576 368,731 370,707 10,736 381,443
Education.......................... 46,282 2,250 48,532 59,481 1,207 60,688 58,891 1,097 59,988
Energy............................. 17,681 6,050 23,731 19,796 6,908 26,704 21,030 6,870 27,900
Health and Human Services.......... 465,812 28,307 494,119 502,013 30,596 532,609 539,015 33,427 572,442
Homeland Security.................. 17,476 5,899 23,375 28,155 8,258 36,413 27,942 8,186 36,128
Housing and Urban Development...... 31,885 3,632 35,517 37,987 3,293 41,280 36,486 1,799 38,285
Interior........................... 9,739 3,093 12,832 10,357 3,656 14,013 10,722 3,483 14,205
Justice............................ 21,112 645 21,757 22,156 751 22,907 24,271 791 25,062
Labor.............................. 64,704 3,213 67,917 70,746 2,609 73,355 58,118 3,242 61,360
State.............................. 9,453 461 9,914 10,977 816 11,793 10,205 1,000 11,205
Transportation..................... 56,104 440 56,544 52,280 581 52,861 53,680 306 53,986
Treasury........................... 370,558 15,520 386,078 368,803 15,866 384,669 391,968 16,779 408,747
Veteran Affairs.................... 50,884 5,355 56,239 56,946 4,814 61,760 61,889 4,397 66,286
Corps of Engineers-Civil Works..... 4,797 1,080 5,877 4,146 473 4,619 4,117 471 4,588
Other Defense Civil Programs....... 35,157 14 35,171 40,148 16 40,164 40,442 21 40,463
Environmental Protection Agency.... 7,450 524 7,974 7,958 248 8,206 8,270 234 8,504
Executive Office of the President.. 451 0 451 334 0 334 341 0 341
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General Services Administration.... -677 240 -437 424 263 687 80 247 327
International Assistance Programs.. 13,342 12,929 26,271 13,020 14,216 27,236 15,235 13,105 28,340
National Aeronautics and Space 14,430 70 14,500 14,599 125 14,724 15,255 133 15,388
Administration.....................
National Science Foundation........ 4,188 0 4,188 4,853 0 4,853 5,092 0 5,092
Office of Personnel Management..... 52,512 8,210 60,722 55,793 9,067 64,860 58,475 9,916 68,391
Small Business Administration...... 493 707 1,200 1,553 508 2,061 770 106 876
Social Security Administration..... 488,240 5,999 494,239 509,910 8,665 518,575 530,765 8,212 538,977
Export-Import Bank of the United -141 1,334 1,193 -3,105 3,925 820 180 475 655
States.............................
Federal Deposit Insurance -353 3,925 3,572 842 2,059 2,901 -169 2,323 2,154
Corporation........................
Postal Service..................... 207 64,957 65,164 -4,161 69,437 65,276 -2,985 70,159 67,174
Railroad Retirement Board.......... 5,425 30 5,455 4,925 592 5,517 4,736 922 5,658
Other Independent Agencies......... 10,847 9,849 20,696 12,255 10,685 22,940 12,421 10,963 23,384
Allowances............................ 0 0 0 -1,125 0 -1,125 -527 0 -527
Undistributed Offsetting Receipts..... -201,120 5,026 -196,094 -207,787 4,380 -203,407 -217,898 4,189 -213,709
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Total................................. 2,010,975 221,978 2,232,953 2,140,377 237,580 2,377,957 2,229,425 234,583 2,464,008
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