The two year budget resolution has been passed by both the house and senate and is expected to by signed by the President. (Credit: Danica Zupic / TWS)
On December 26, 2013, the President signed a bipartisan budget agreement into law, however, Congress must still pass individual funding bills, or an omnibus, by January 15 to avoid another government shutdown before their mid-January recess. The budget deal — drafted by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) — totals $1.012 trillion dollar cap for FY 2014 discretionary spending. This total is less than the original Senate budget level of $1.058 trillion but more than the House budget level of $967 billion. It also sets the budget for 2015 at nearly the same mark.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) the budget deal would save $85 billion over the next 10 years, and according to the Bipartisan Summary it would reduce deficits by $20-$23 billion. However concessions were made that will impact wildlife professionals and wildlife. While starting the year with a budget and preventing further government shutdown would alleviate the workload and allow movement on other hill negotiations (such as the Farm Bill), defense discretionary spending would be set at $520.5 billion, and non-defense discretionary spending would be $491.8 billion, 11 percent less than the 2013 budget outlay ($556.548 billion), but greater than the reported $469.4 billion current law. The bill does allow for $63 billion in relief of the sequester cuts for 2014 and 2015. However, it also extends the length of time sequester cuts will be in place from 2021 to 2023 (2021 levels will remain for both 2022 and 2023). It should be noted that this bill does not address the problem of the debt ceiling which will still have to be resolved by mid-February.
A major impact to erosion control and wildlife habitat will be the reduced funding for NRCS and Farm conservation measures in an effort to save $38 million directly, included in the VII Miscellaneous Provisions section. The bill would now “authorize” NRCS to charge farmers a fee of up to $150 for technical assistance when developing individual site specific conservation plans. These charges would then be paid into an account which could only be used to implement the act, or as appropriated by Congress. However there are several exemptions: assistance with plans required by federal, state or local regulations, and assistance with plans for farmers that are beginning, socially disadvantaged, limited resource etc. Additionally all Federal Employees hired after December 31 of this year will be subject to an increase of 1.3 percent for their pension contributions.
Sources:
Press Release Senate Budget committee (Dec 10, 2013), Environment and Energy Daily (December 12, 2013), Summary of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 (December 10, 2013), Environment and Energy Daily (December 13, 2013)
Additional Files:
CBO analysis
Concurrent resolution on the budget fiscal year 2013
Legislative Text of Bipartisan Budget Act
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 Summary
Section By Section Analysis of Bipartisan Budget Act