Letters
The Social Security program is the greatest antipoverty program in American history and the bedrock of retirement security for millions of people. But some members of Congress have advocated for increasing the retirement age, which would be a benefit cut for beneficiaries. In this letter, Ranking Member Boyle asked CBO to calculate what the average lifetime benefit cut would be to retirees from increasing the retirement age to 69 for all those 59 and younger today
SUMMARY: The Trump Administration is currently pursuing work requirements for several federal programs in the form of state waivers and new regulations that limit states' flexibility to respond to changing economic conditions. Chairman Yarmuth asked CBO to analyze the effect of work requirements and work supports on program participation, employment, and other outcomes in Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
SUMMARY: Democrats in Congress acted strongly to address climate change, but more must be done to avoid the most damaging consequences of climate change. Chairman Yarmuth asked CBO to prepare two reports that will inform future deliberations. The first will analyze trends in emissions in the electric power sector, with a focus on what has worked in the past and what impact they will have in the future. The second report will look at emissions in the transportation sector, focusing on trends and the factors affecting those trends going forward.
SUMMARY: Members of Congress are working to expand access and improve the affordability of quality health insurance for all Americans through a variety of approaches. One proposal is a federally administered nongroup plan, sometimes called a public option, that would be available as an alternative to private insurance plans. Chairman Yarmuth asked CBO to produce a report identifying key characteristics and design considerations of a public option.
SUMMARY: Rising health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs continue to put pressure on employers’ bottom lines and family budgets. Increasing health care costs also have important implications for the federal budget and the economy more broadly. Chairman Yarmuth asked CBO to provide a report on the drivers of health care spending, variation in health care prices and costs, and mechanisms to hold down growth in spending.
SUMMARY: While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) gave us a strong foundation on which to build, there is still more work to be done to achieve the goal of quality, affordable health care for all Americans. Chairman Yarmuth, Representative Craig, Representative Fletcher, and Representative Wild asked CBO to provide a report exploring proposals that would build on the achievements of the ACA to achieve the goal of quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
SUMMARY: It has been more than ten years since GAO issued its last report on the impact of continuing resolutions (CRs) on agencies. Since GAO has a mandate in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to look at the effects of CRs on the readiness and planning of the Department of Defense (DOD), this study would look at the effects of CRs on all other agencies.
SUMMARY: As the tenth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act approaches, the law's impact on the health and economic security of Americans is clear. But even with these dramatic gains, 30 million Americans still live without health insurance. Chairman Yarmuth asked CBO to provide a report on the characteristics of the population that remains uninsured.
SUMMARY: In 2019, the House Budget Committee held a hearing examining the role of immigrants in the United States economy. Chairman Yarmuth asked CBO provide an overview of basic facts about the foreign-born population, their role in the economy, and the impact that they have on the federal budget.
SUMMARY: The Department of Defense spends tens of billions of dollars annually in base operations support (BOS) costs to sustain hundreds of military installations, both in the United States and abroad. Chairman Yarmuth asked that CBO undertake an analysis of these costs.