Two Federal Budget Plans Stray Far from Americans' Call for Public Investments in Crucial Services, Infrastructure

PRESS RELEASE
-For Immediate Release-
April 2, 2013

Contact: Brian Gumm, bgumm@foreffectivegov.org, 202-683-4812

Two Federal Budget Plans Stray Far from Americans' Call for Public Investments in Crucial Services, Infrastructure

New Side-by-Side Analysis Shows which Congressional Budget Plans Most Closely Match Public's Views on Funding

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2013—In a side-by-side analysis released today, the Center for Effective Government examines a set of congressional budget proposals and contrasts them with public support for specific areas of public investments. The analysis shows that while the American people strongly support maintaining or increasing funding for Social Security, Medicare, education, and road and bridge repair, two of the four budget plans stray far from the public's views.

The analysis looks at four different plans – Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) “The Path to Prosperity,” the Republican Study Committee’s “Back to Basics,” Sen. Patty Murray’s (D-WA) “Foundation for Growth,” and the House Congressional Progressive Caucus’s “Back to Work Budget” – and compares them to recent public opinion polling from the Pew Research Center.

Nick Schwellenbach, Senior Fiscal Policy Analyst at the Center for Effective Government, said, "The Ryan and Republican Study Committee budget plans are radically at odds with Americans’ views on funding in specific areas. In contrast, the Murray and Congressional Progressive Caucus proposals contain some differences with the public but are closer to the investments Americans want their government to make."

Repeated polling shows that the majority of Americans reject reductions in the majority of specific federal programs. For example, 89 percent of Americans polled in February support maintaining or increasing funding for education, according to Pew’s pre-sequestration poll results. And 87 percent want to increase or maintain Social Security; 81 percent want to see funding increased or maintained for critical road and bridge repair projects.

"Federal budget proposals should reflect the priorities of the American people," said Katherine McFate, President and CEO of the Center for Effective Government. "Public investments in our kids, our infrastructure, and our most vulnerable reflect who we are as a people."

The side-by-side analysis is available online at http://www.foreffectivegov.org/fy14-budget-plans-side-by-side.

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