Congress, defense, and the deficit: an analysis of the FY 1996 budget process in the 104th Congress

Download
Author
Molinari, Francis X. Murphy.
Date
1995-12Advisor
Doyle, Richard B.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The FY 1996 federal budget process has been distinguished by a series of unprecedented 'firsts'. The 104th Congress, the first Republican-led Congress in over 40 years, promised to produce a federal budget for FY 1996 that would incorporate significant changes in fiscal policy. Congress intended to balance the budget and eliminate the deficit by 2002, and proposed substantial cuts in entitlement spending in order to accomplish this. Additionally, Congress intended to cut taxes and increase funding for defense. Although the majority party believed that balancing the budget was possible, most students of the federal budget process considered it improbable given the competing objectives and political sensitivities surrounding the methods proposed to achieve this goal. This thesis describes how Congress attempted to achieve its objectives, and evaluates the impact of such an unprecendented economic plan on specific elements of the federal budget. Congress did pass a budget resolution, reconciliation package, and several appropriation bills that reflected a zero deficit by 2002. However, two Continuing Resolutions were required as Congress and the President continued negotiations after reaching an impasse on the FY 1996 federal budget.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Health care reform and the deficit, 1993-1996
Gieri, William J (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1997-03);Health care reform in the 103rd and 104th Congresses has run the gambit from extremely ambitious to less than ambitious undertakings. Proposals have engendered partisan debates, because of the scope and complexity of the ... -
Blood and treasure: the U.S. debt and its implications for national defense and security
Malokofsky, Nicholas C. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2012-12);Is the current budget and debt of the United States a concern to its national defense Does debt held by foreign nations, particularly China, give them soft power over the United States The current national deficit is more ... -
An analysis of the role of the budget committees in the Congressional budget process.
West, Stephen G. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1991-12);Congress assumed a more active role in the federal budget process with the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (CBA), legislation which created the House and Senate Budget Committees. during the first ...