[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 19, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10633-S10634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BUDGET SCOREKEEPING REPORT

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise to submit to the Senate the budget 
scorekeeping report for fiscal year 2008 prepared by the Congressional 
Budget Office pursuant to section 308(b) and in aid of section 311 of 
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as amended. This is my final 
report for fiscal year 2008.
  This report shows the effects of congressional action through October 
1, 2008. Since my last report, dated September 12, 2008, the Congress 
has cleared and the President has signed P.L. 110-329, the Consolidated 
Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009. 
The estimates of budget authority, outlays, and revenues used in this 
report are consistent with the technical and economic assumptions of S. 
Con. Res. 70, the 2009 budget resolution.
  The estimates show that current level spending is below the budget 
resolution by $5.2 billion for budget authority and $2.4 billion for 
outlays while current level revenues are above the budget resolution by 
$3 billion.
  I ask unanimous consent that the letter and accompanying tables from 
CBO be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:
                                                    U.S. Congress,


                                  Congressional Budget Office,

                                Washington, DC, November 19, 2008.
     Hon. Kent Conrad,
     Chairman, Committee on the Budget,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: The enclosed report shows the effects of 
     Congressional action on the fiscal year 2009 budget and is 
     current through October 1, 2008. This report is submitted 
     under section 308(b) and in aid of section 311 of the 
     Congressional Budget Act, as amended.
       The estimates of budget authority, outlays, and revenues 
     are consistent with the technical and economic assumptions of 
     S. Con. Res. 70, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for 
     Fiscal Year 2009, as approved by the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives.
       Since my last letter, dated September 11, 2008, the 
     Congress has cleared and the President has signed the 
     Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing 
     Appropriations Act, 2009 (Public Law 110-329). Division B of 
     the act provided $22.9 billion for disaster relief and 
     recovery for 2008; the entire amount was designated as an 
     emergency requirement pursuant to section 204(a) of S. Con. 
     Res. 21. Amounts so designated are exempt from enforcement of 
     the budget resolution. As a result, the enclosed current 
     level report excludes these amounts (see footnote 2 of Table 
     2 of the report).
           Sincerely,
                                                Robert A. Sunshine
                                  (For Peter R. Orszag, Director).
       Enclosure.

   TABLE 1.--SENATE CURRENT LEVEL REPORT FOR SPENDING AND REVENUES FOR
                 FISCAL YEAR 2008, AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2008
                        [In billions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Current
                                     Budget       Current    level over/
                                   resolution    level \2\    under (-)
                                      \1\                     resolution
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           ON-BUDGET
 
Budget Authority...............       2,456.2       2,451.0         -5.2
Outlays........................       2,437.8       2,435.3         -2.4
Revenues.......................       1,875.4       1,878.4          3.0
 
           OFF-BUDGET
 
Social Security Outlays \3\....         463.7         463.7          0.0
Social Security Revenues.......         666.7         666.7         0.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ S. Con. Res. 70, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal
  Year 2009, assumed $108.1 billion in budget authority and $28.9
  billion in outlays for overseas deployment and related activities. The
  Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-252) designated
  funding for these activities as an emergency requirement, pursuant to
  section 204(a) of S. Con. Res. 21, the Concurrent Resolution on the
  Budget for Fiscal Year 2008. Such emergency amounts are exempt from
  the enforcement of S. Con. Res. 70. Since current level totals exclude
  the emergency requirements enacted in P.L. 110-252 (see footnote 2 of
  table 2), budget authority and outlay totals specified in S. Con. Res.
  70 have also been reduced for purposes of comparison.
\2\ Current level is the estimated effect on revenue and spending of all
  legislation, excluding amounts designated as emergency requirements
  (see footnote 2 of table 2), that the Congress has enacted or sent to
  the President for his approval. In addition, full-year funding
  estimates under current law are included for entitlement and mandatory
  programs requiring annual appropriations, even if the appropriations
  have not been made.
\3\ Excludes administrative expenses of the Social Security
  Administration, which are off-budget, but are appropriated annually.
SOURCE: Congressional Budget Office.


  TABLE 2.--SUPPORTING DETAIL FOR THE CURRENT LEVEL REPORT FOR ON-BUDGET SPENDING AND REVENUES FOR FISCAL YEAR
                                           2008, AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2008
                                            [In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Budget authority       Outlays            Revenues
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Previously Enacted \1\
    Revenues...........................................               n.a.               n.a.          1,879,400
    Permanents and other spending legislation..........          1,441,010          1,394,887               n.a.
    Appropriation legislation..........................          1,604,649          1,635,118               n.a.
    Offsetting receipts................................           -596,805           -596,805               n.a.
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
      Total, Previously enacted........................          2,448,854          2,433,200          1,879,400
Enacted this session:
    Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-                     0                  7                  0
     252) \2\..........................................
    Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers                 1,942              1,924                  1
     Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-275)........................
    Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-               203                203               -968
     289) \2\..........................................
    Higher Education Opportunity Act (P.L. 110-315)....                -10                  0                  0
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     2,135              2,134               -967
 
Total Current Level \2\ \3\ \4\........................          2,450,989          2,435,334          1,878,433
Total Budget Resolution \5\............................          2,564,237          2,466,678          1,875,401
    Adjustment to the budget resolution for emergency             -108,056            -28,901               n.a.
     requirements \6\..................................
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
Adjusted Budget Resolution.............................          2,456,181          2,437,777          1,875,401
Current Level Over Budget Resolution...................               n.a.               n.a.              3,032
Current Level Under Budget Resolution..................              5,192              2,443              n.a.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOURCE: Congressional Budget Office.
Note: n.a. = not applicable; P.L. = Public Law.
\1\ Includes the following acts that affect budget authority, outlays, or revenues, and were cleared by the
  Congress during this session, but before the adoption of S. Con. Res. 70, the Concurrent Resolution on the
  Budget for Fiscal Year 2009: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (P.L. 110-181), Economic
  Stimulus Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-185), Andean Trade Preference Extension Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-191), Ensuring
  Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-227), Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (P.L.
  110-229), Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-232),
  Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-234), SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008 (P.L.
  110-244), and Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-245).
\2\ Pursuant to section 204(a) of S. Con. Res. 21, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2008,
  provisions designated as emergency requirements are exempt from enforcement of the budget resolution. The
  amounts so designated for fiscal year 2008, which are not included in the current level total, are as follows:


 
                                                          Budget authority       Outlays            Revenues
 
    Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-               115,808             35,350               n.a.
     252)..............................................
    Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-             4,106                187               n.a.
     289)..............................................
    Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and                 22,859                  0               n.a.
     Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (P.L. 110-329)
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   142,773             35,537              n.a.
 
\3\ For purposes of enforcing section 311 of the Congressional Budget Act in the Senate, the budget resolution
  does not include budget authority, outlays, or revenues for off-budget amounts. As a result, current level
  excludes these items.
\4\ The scoring for P.L. 110-318, an act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore the Highway Trust
  Fund, does not change current level totals. P.L. 110-318 appropriated approximately $8 billion to the Highway
  Trust Fund. The enactment of this bill followed an announcement by the Secretary of Transportation on
  September 5, 2008, of an interim policy to slow down payments to states from the Highway Trust Fund. The
  Congressional Budget Office estimates that P.L. 110-318 will reverse this policy and restore payments to
  states at levels already assumed in current level. Thus, no change is required.
\5\ Periodically, the Senate Committee on the Budget revises the totals in S. Con. Res. 70, pursuant to various
  provisions of the resolution:


 
                                                          Budget authority       Outlays            Revenues
 
    Original Budget Resolution.........................          2,563,262          2,465,711          1,875,392
    Revisions:
      For the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill                        -950               -950                  0
       Suspension and Consumer Protection Act of 2008
       (SPR Act) (section 323(d))......................
      For the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax                  0                  0                  8
       Act of 2008 (Heroes Act) (section 323(d)).......
      For adjustment to debt service for the SPR and                    -7                 -7                  0
       Heroes acts (section 323(d))....................
      For the Medicare Improvements for Patients and                 1,942              1,924                  1
       Providers Act of 2008 (sections 221(f) and 227).
      For the Higher Education Opportunity Act (section                -10                  0                  0
       222)............................................

[[Page S10634]]

 
    Revised Budget Resolution..........................          2,564,237          2,466,678         1,875,401
 
\6\ S. Con. Res. 70 assumed $108,056 million in budget authority and $28,901 million in outlays for overseas
  deployment and related activities. The Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-252) designated funding
  for these activities as an emergency requirement, pursuant to 'section 204(a) of S. Con. Res. 21. Such
  emergency amounts are exempt from the enforcement of S. Con. Res. 70. Since current level totals exclude the
  emergency requirements enacted in P.L. 110-252 (see footnote 2), budget authority and outlay totals specified
  in S. Con. Res. 70 have been reduced for purposes of comparison.
SOURCE: Congressional Budget Office.
Note: n.a. = not applicable; P.L. = Public Law.



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