Congressional Budget Office Recommendations The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is an agency under The Congress that helps in synthesizing the budgetary information by providing options that are implemented and bring about savings in the initial budget. The document provides choices in the following areas: Mandatory spending apart from health-related programs, discretionary spending apart from health-related programs, and revenue other than health related programs and finally health-related programs and revenue provisions. In this paper, we shall focus defense spending and in particular the U.S. Air Force spending that falls into the category of discretional spending. The option of the U.S. Air Force is first implied in option 7. In this option, CBO recommends the removal in concurrent receipt of compensations for disabilities. In the past, military personnel were allowed to receive full retirement from the Department of Defense without considering the disability …show more content…
compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The groups will be divided into two groups including the combat related group that will be entitled to the concurrent compensation. The new policy will eliminate the concurrent compensations in the two groups. Option 8 describes the steps that the Congress will undertake to reduce the federal spending on pensions.
This includes both the military and as well the civilians. The pension calculations will now be based on a 60-month average basic pay as opposed to the scenario in the past when a three highest paid years were used. The civilians will use five years average in the computation. In option 19, military personnel disabled in the line of duty are entitled to compensation from the Department of Veteran Affairs. Thus includes injuries that are acquired/ aggravated in the line of duty. CBO has removed some of the chronic diseases in that category and thus reducing the overall amount paid out. In option 20; propose a reduction of disability compensation to the base rate that is associated with the extent of the disability. The agency also proposed a 0.5% increase in the percentage increase in the cost. CBO proposes replacement of military personnel with civilian to perform civilian duties within the
military. For the U.S. Air Force specific budget in option 24, CBO has proposed that the ordered 179 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, plus 2,264 pending be replaced with 1,763 Lockheed Martin F-16s, thus saving on the difference in price. This will only be viable if a technical evaluation reveals that the batch can be used in the same capacity as the proposed one. In option 25, the CBO has recommended a cancellation of the proposed building of Ford-class aircraft carriers after completion of U.S.S. John F. Kennedy in 2013. The others that were to be built in the subsequent periods were canceled. If a technical analysis reveals that the one built is sufficient alongside the existing fleet, then the proposal can be deemed valid. In option 29, CBO proposes termination of human space exploration programs rather than ones dedicated to communication enhancement. In option 27, CBO recommends deferment of the U.S. Air Force development of the long-range bomber to the year 2025, which will replace the current fleet of 159. This is rational in the sense that the government will be able to save on the unnecessary endeavors and still maintain explorations that are meant to improve the lives of the residents such as communication. Scoring Scoring refers to an evaluation of the impact of proposed legislations on the baseline budget. It is the same process that CBO employ in determining the consequences of a change in policy on the budget. It general refers to the estimation of the changes that a change in the legislation will have on the budget and as well on the revenue estimates.
the War Veterans’ Allowance Board. This allowance, known among veterans as the “burnt-out pension,” was a discretionary benefit made available to veterans with overseas service who could no longer make a living.
Forsling, C. (2014, September 9 ). Task and purpose . Retrieved November 16, 2017, from Task and purpose : http://taskandpurpose.com/real-problem-military-salaries-compensation/
The country needs to start monitoring how the government is spending the federal budget and they need to start splitting it fairly to benefit our country. 83% of the federal budget is spent on the Big Five which are the main expenses in the budget. We have to stop spending it all on the Big Five. Our government should really pay attention to what we need most of in this country and focus on the needs. The government needs to take away 20% of the Big Five and split it to categories that need it.
Federal spending is necessary for the economy and is essential to the accomplishment of national goals and advancement. This is why a budget is needed, however, there is no actual process mentioned in the Constitution that explains how Congress should do this. The Constitution states:
Soldiers, both men and women, risk their lives fighting for our country and when they come home they receive far fewer benefits than would be expected. Throughout history the support for veterans has lessened. The amount of money that is provided to veterans for healthcare and housing after returning to the states has severely decreased since WWI.
“Military Draft: Potential Impacts and Other Issues.” U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO.gov. March 10, 1988. n. pag. Web. 1 April 2014.
“Factors Affecting Health Care” (50-55) Demonstrates the sacrifices and how difficult it is for veterans to receive healthcare from the Department of Veteran Affairs.
...ocial Security Administration has not collected the disability award information for the first 3 months of 2014, therefore, the forecast can have at most 92 data points. Since there is a lack of historical data available, the forecast accuracy will be negatively affected. Another problem encountered in making this forecast was that there were very few variables related to veteran unemployment that are calculated monthly. While the independent variables chosen do have significant impact on the veteran unemployment rate, the forecast would only be enhanced if information such as veteran disability awards and veteran educational enrollment was calculated on a per month basis instead of quarterly or every fiscal year. However, while the variables used in the forecast may not be perfect, they still will be able to give a fairly accurate forecast of veteran unemployment.
The Social Security Act was enacted in 1935, and since then it has undergone numerous revisions and amendments. Today the act covers a wide range of benefit programs, including Medicare, unemployment compensation, and Supplemental Security Income. The major portion for which the Social Security Act has become known, however, is the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program, or OASDI. While today the OASDI program is most frequently referred to as “Social Security,” it is only a thread in what has been called the “social safety net.” Therefore, throughout this paper, it should be understood that Social Security will be the term used to refer to all its encompassed programs as a group, as a matter of convenience.
One of the most serious problems facing all veterans today is the lack of proper healthcare. Soldiers, sailors and airmen are leaving active duty without having proper healthcare to cover their physical or mental injuries. The department responsible for veteran’s healthcare is the Department of Veterans Affairs. (VA) According to The department of Veterans Affairs website, “The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is responsible for administering programs of veterans’ benefits for veterans, their families, and survivors. The benefits provided include disability compensation, pension, education, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivors’ benefits, medical benefits and burial benefits. It is administered by the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs.” The VA, who was formerly called the Veterans Administration, was established 21 July 1930, to consolidate and coordinate government activities affecting war veterans. The VA encompassed the functions of the former U.S. Veterans' Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. On 25 October 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation creating a new federal Cabinet-level Department of Veterans Affairs to replace the Veterans Administration effective 15 March 1989 (V.A.)
There is an every growing need for college graduates that need government benefits. There are a surplus of able body men and woman looking for a career or a chance to better their life’s using the benefits provide by the Mandatory Military Services Act as a catalyst to improve the standard of living for each citizen. By having experience that will transience to the job market, with the job market being flooded with highly train workers with military background the overall productivity will greatly improve. (Ruschmann
John Lamie a veteran from the Iraq war who struggles with PTSD is also facing a battle with the VA on certain benefits he should be receiving for his psychological health. “Because of a series of complications over the validity of disability exams Lamie took for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other conditions, Lamie’s most recent disability check amounted to $83.19” (“Caring for Veterans” 363). Veterans like John Lamie are receiving only portion of healthcare benefits instead of full benefits which is making them have to foot the bill or not go and get the specific treatment they need because it is
National defense is a sensitive topic to most because we need it to live in our country as safe as we do, but it is a big problem in our national debt. The Washington Post showed that the United States spends 20% of its budget on defense and it has increased dramatically since the tragedy of 9/11 (“America’s Staggering Defense Budget”, Plumer). America spends more on its military than the next 13 nations combined, which...
When individuals go into the military they have a complete physical checkup to get cleared to join a branch of service they have selected. Individuals go into the military without having any disabilities or a mental illness, but this can change while they serve during combat. Before signing up, he or she knows the risks such as putting their life on the front line before going into the military. While a solider is in combat, he or she is faced with many types of situations that can cause trauma, physical disability or a mental disability. When veterans come home from serving in combat some of the situations veterans faced causes many to become homeless due to mental illnesses such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD),
With the new structure of social security it provides pension to retired or disabled American, the social security is financed by the Federal Ins...