DOCUMENTS IN THE NEWS - 2011
Laws and Proposed Legislation

Debt Crisis

• Legislative Proposals
  • House Budget Control Act (passed 7-29-2011)
    • Text of Boehner will to raise the debt ceiling, reduce expenditures and initiate a constitutional balanced budget amendment
    • The bill number is S.627, (112th Congress, 1st session)
    • The official title is the Faster FOIA Act, which is used as a shell for the budget amendment
    • House Roll Call Vote 677

  • Compromise Budget Control Act of 2011
    • Official bill number is S. 365
    • House Roll Call Vote (269: 161, August 1, 2011)
    • Senate Roll Call Vote (74:26, August 2, 2011)
    • Public Law 112-25
    • Congressional Budget Office Analysis (August 1, 2011)

  • Ryan Plan
    • H. Con. Res. 34 proposes Medicare be replaced by vouchers
    • Passed in the House but tabled in the Senate

• Alternative Proposals
  • National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
    • Official report entitled Moment of Truthof the commission to reduce the national deficit, issued December 2010
    • Recommends combined approach on entitlements (Social Security, medical care), reduced spending, and tax reform to reduced the federal deficit
    • Chaired by Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles

  • Reducing the Federal Deficit: Spending and Revenue Options (CBO)
    • March 2011 report by the bi-partisan Congressional Budget Office
    • Analyzes pros and cons of specific ways to reduce mandatory and discretionary spending as well as increasing revenue

• Debt Super Committee
  • Super Committee: Who Are These Guys (CNN)
    • Lists six Senate and House members to develop an alternative debt reduction proposal by Thanksgiving 2011
    • Brief description of their experience and interest in the issues
    • Article by CNN Money dated August 11, 2011

• Public Opinion Polls
  • CNN/ORC International Poll (August 10, 2011)
    • Poll showing Americans prefer taxing the wealthy and corporations combined with deep spending cuts
    • Do not want changes to Medicare and Social Security
    • Percentages broken down by age, income, sex, and region of the country

  • Public Wants Changes in Entitlements, Not Benefits (PEW Research Ceneter)
    • Poll published on July 7, 2011 suggests public wants efficiencies in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid rather than a reduction in benefits
    • Tea Party supporters believe debt limit more important than maintaining benefits; other Republicans and Democrats support benefits







Grace York
Retired Documents Librarian University of Michigan
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