The leaders of the House and Senate Budget Committees just released their proposed budgets for FY 2014. The two lay out very different budget priorities and paths to deficit reduction. Below is a comparison of the two proposals in terms of how they treat hungry and poor people. All numbers have been calculated over a ten year period.

1. Comparing the Ryan and Murray Budgets
March 14, 2013
The leaders of the House and Senate Budget Committees just released their proposed budgets for FY
2014. The two lay out very different budget priorities and paths to deficit reduction. Below is a
comparison of the two proposals in terms of how they treat hungry and poor people. All numbers have
been calculated over a ten year period.
Ryan Budget Murray Budget
Protecting hungry and Emphasizes reducing Includes as a core principle that deficit
poor people “dependency” of poor people on reduction must not increase poverty.
federal anti-poverty programs.
Includes an entire section on
Acknowledges the need for a protecting the most vulnerable
safety net, but focuses on making families.
sure that assistance is temporary.
Spending Cuts $4.6 trillion $975 billion
Revenue Increases None $975 billion
Sequestration Leaves sequestration in place, but Replaces sequestration with a mix of
shields defense and shifts those tax increases and spending cuts.
cuts to nondefense discretionary
programs.
Defense $550 billion increase $240 billion cut
(compared to sequestration)
Nondefense $1 trillion cut $142 billion cut
Discretionary
Spending Lowers the spending caps Lowers the spending caps established
established in the 2011 Budget in the 2011 Budget Control Act and
(Twenty-five percent of Control Act by $554 billion and stops sequestration.
this spending goes to low- continues sequestration.
income people through
programs like WIC, PFDA,
and Head Start)
SNAP $135.5 billion cut No change
(The Supplemental, Turns SNAP into a block grant, Protects SNAP.
Nutrition Assistance hindering its ability to respond to
Program, formerly food spikes in need. Includes language about the
stamps) importance and effectiveness of the
Eliminates categorical eligibility program.
and the “Heat and Eat” policies.
Could force 8-9 million people
from SNAP.
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2. WIC Not specified Not specified
(The Special Supplemental Allows sequestration to continue, Cuts nondefense discretionary
Nutrition Program for but cuts nondefense discretionary spending below the 2011 Budget
Women, Infants, and spending below sequestration Control Act levels by $142 billion, but
Children) levels—putting WIC at risk of cuts replaces sequestration, protecting WIC
in future appropriations bills. from those across-the-board cuts.
Includes language about the
importance of protecting WIC.
International Affairs Not specified Increased by $10 billion
Account
Doesn’t mention poverty-focused Replaces scheduled sequestration cuts,
development assistance (PFDA). and increases funding by 22 percent
over ten years.
Allows sequestration to continue
and cuts nondefense discretionary
spending below sequestration
levels—putting PFDA at risk of
cuts in future appropriations bills.
Earned Income Tax Ends 2009 improvements Makes 2009 improvements
Credit and Child Tax permanent
Credit Leaves these credits vulnerable to
further cuts in tax reform. Protects these credits in tax reform.
Tax Reform Cuts the top tax rate from 39.6 Requires the tax code to remain at least
percent to 25 percent. as progressive as it is now.
Does not raise any revenue for
deficit reduction.
Does not include any protections
for low-income families.
Medicaid $810 billion cut $10 billion cut
Also repeals Medicaid expansion Includes language on the importance of
and turns Medicaid into a block protecting Medicaid for low-income
grant, which would leave 40-50 families and vulnerable individuals.
million more people uninsured.
Agriculture Cuts $31 billion to agriculture $23 billion to agriculture programs
programs
No explicit protections for SNAP.
No explicit protections for SNAP.
Medicare Cuts $356 billion $265 billion
Economic Stimulus None $100 billion
Invests in job training and
infrastructure.
Deficit Reduction $4.6 trillion $1.85 trillion
Balances the budget. Stabilizes the debt by reducing it to 2.2
percent of the economy.