2015 United States federal budget
According to the Congressional Research Service, the federal budget is "a compilation of numbers about the revenues, spending, and borrowing and debt of the government.
However, some people consider "the power to formulate and submit the budget... a vital tool in the President’s direction of the executive branch and of national policy.
[12] The President's proposal was also considered a "playbook" for Democrats' "election-year themes of creating jobs and narrowing the income gap between rich and poor.
[12] President Obama's budget proposal only addresses about a third of the federal government's total estimated spending for fiscal year 2015.
[14] The President's proposal calls for the United States Army to decrease in size to the smallest it has been since before World War II.
[12][14] The United States Department of Defense was asking in its budget to have some bases closed in 2017 and have a smaller pay increase for the troops.
[12][15] Obama's budget would also increase the taxes on "large estates, financial institutions, tobacco products, airline passengers and managers of private investment funds.
"[12] The budget includes a proposal to tax large banks with $56 billion in "financial crisis responsibility fees.
"[15] Obama proposes to increase from $500 to $1,000 the maximum earned income tax credit for childless low-income workers.
[12] Obama's proposal includes provisions involving universal pre-kindergarten, Head Start, and more Race to the Top grants.
"[12] Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) called Obama's proposal "his most irresponsible budget yet," arguing that "American families looking for jobs and opportunity will find only more government in this plan.
"[12] The Speaker also that said that "this budget is a clear sign this president has given up on any efforts to address our serious fiscal challenges that are undermining the future of our kids and grandkids.
"[12] Reuters referred to the yearly requirement that the President submit a budget proposal as an "annual ritual," saying that as soon as it would be released, "lawmakers will promptly ignore it.
[14] The Associated Press reported that many of Obama's suggested new taxes have been ignored in the past by Congress, as have many of his ideas for increased spending.
[12] Due to the mid-term elections in November 2014 and the ongoing campaigns for re-election, Congress was not expected to act on many of Obama's proposals.
The budget would also repeal the Affordable Care Act, including reversing its expansion of Medicaid, and cap the food stamp program.
[19] The Ryan plan used an accounting mechanism called dynamic scoring, which attempts to predict the macroeconomic fiscal impact of the policy changes, which was not typically included in budget proposals.
The conservative advocacy group Heritage Action urged Representatives to vote for this budget, while Democrats argued that this proposal cut too much spending.
[22] The Congressional Black Caucus's budget proposal would spend $3.26 trillion, reverting the cuts to food stamps and lengthening the time period over which people can receive unemployment insurance.
[26] On December 11, 2014, the House passed the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, popularly called the "cromnibus" bill, combining an omnibus spending bill funding the federal government through October 2015, with a continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security through February 2015.
The House passed a two-day continuing resolution (a "CR" for short) at the same time, to prevent a government shutdown until the Senate could take action.
[28] The full-year appropriations bill for Homeland Security was passed on March 3, after Republican House leadership dropped demands to attach provisions rolling back Obama's executive actions on immigration.
