Bread for the World's National Gathering 2011 presentation: The Federal Budget: Why it Matters to Hungry and Poor People

1. 2011 National Gathering The Federal Budget: Why it Matters to Hungry and Poor People

2. A Brief Overview

3. The Budget Timeline: How does the federal budget process work? President’s Budget Request Congressional Budget Resolution Appropriations Debt Ceiling Other Budget Bills (deficit reduction, entitlement programs, taxes, balanced budget amendment)

4. Budget Basics: Where do our federal tax dollars go? Programs for low-income families are a fraction of government spending. They have played virtually no role in creating our deficits. 1/3 of non-security discretionary spending goes to state and local governments.

6. Reality: The long-term fiscal outlook is of serious concern.

7. Myth:Our current deficits are so out of control that we must address them immediately with painful spending cuts.

9. Budget Myths and Realities: Myth: Government spending is out of control. Reality: The real threat is the long-term structural imbalance between spending and revenues. Rising health care costs Aging population Insufficient revenues Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

10. Reducing Deficits and Poverty:We Don’t Need to Choose We need to address deficits. Ending poverty and hunger requires government action. Anti-poverty programs have had a powerful impact.

11. Cap on Overall Federal Spending Limits all federal spending (share of the economy) Keeps programs from growing Entitlement programs structured to grow when there’s more need

13. Government can’t run deficits during recessions.

14. Supermajority requirement to waive.

15. Most states have BBAs

17. Automatic across-the-board cuts and/or tax increases if targets missed

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