House Budget Committee Issues Report on Concurrent Resolution on Budget–FY 2018 (Part 3 of 8)
Illustrative Policy Options
Policy development in this area rests primarily with the
Budget Transparency. Like all government agencies,
53Public Law 111-84
54Statement of
55Donald
56Committee
Defense Industrial Base and Sustainment. A robust industrial base is vital to military readiness and, therefore, the national security of
57Government Accountability Office, Weapon Systems Management: DOD Has Taken Steps to Implement Product Support Managers but Needs to Evaluate Their Effects,
The sustainment industrial base comprises both private sector and military facilities, each serving a unique and vital role in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of weapons, weapons systems, components, subcomponents, parts, and equipment. As budget resources become more scarce, the military facilities and private sectors should focus on the areas in which each excels, entering into public-private partnerships, as appropriate, to save taxpayer dollars and increase military readiness. Furthermore, the Department should learn from recent mistakes and failed policies, which include the unnecessary furlough of working capital fund employees or managing by end strength. Workload should be one of the key drivers when managing depots, arsenals, and ammunition plants to ensure the lowest cost to the taxpayer.
Military depots are the backbone of the organic industrial base and are the Nation's insurance policy against economic uncertainty, changes in the defense industry, and wartime demands. Additionally, military depots serve as the appropriate location for maintaining command and control of the majority of warfighting systems. The B-52 bomber program, as one example, is a reminder that sustainment of weapons systems for decades beyond their initially projected lifecycle is feasible and likely will be essential to meeting military readiness needs. Military depots have proven their value to the taxpayer for efficiently sustaining systems that are no longer profitable or no longer cost-effective to maintain in the private sector. During peacetime or war, military depots meet military readiness requirements and provide critical and necessary skill sets on time and on budget.
Acquisition reform should reaffirm the value of military core statutes and the longstanding balance of workload between military depots and the private sector. These key provisions in existing law, when vigorously enforced, will ensure that the vital security interests of
58Isham Linder,
Defense Acquisition Reform. Since 1990,
59Government Accountability Office, DOD Weapon Systems Acquisition,
60Committee
61Ibid.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Function Summary
62The
63Ibid.
According to the
64Committee
The international affairs budget is critical in advancing
For this budget category (Function 150 in the summary tables), the budget resolution proposes a total of
The majority of the funding is discretionary spending, which is
As with National Defense, funding for the
Refocusing the Strategy
65Ibid.
66Ibid.
Fine-tuning
67Ibid.
68Ibid.
Illustrative Discretionary Spending Policy Options
The committees of jurisdiction--the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Agriculture, as well as the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs--should continue effective oversight of international affairs programs to ensure resources are used efficiently to achieve desired results that ultimately support
Eliminate Funding for Peripheral Foreign-Affairs Institutions.
69Ibid.
Consolidating and eliminating funding for multiple institutions that perform similar tasks will make
Reduce Contributions to International Organizations and Programs.
70John
Reform Food Aid. One of the areas where the international affairs budget fails to use taxpayer dollars efficiently and effectively is the
71Committee
72Government Accountability Office, International Food Assistance: Funding Development Projects through the Purchase, Shipment, and Sale of
Overhaul the
73Committee
Eliminate Contributions to the
Reinstate the Mexico City Policy. The Mexico City Policy, originally adopted by
74Presidential Review Memorandum,
OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS/GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM
Function Summary
This category reflects non-enduring funding for the execution of Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism [OCO/GWOT] and other closely related activities. It provides funding for
The resolution calls for
Policy Considerations
The criteria
75Government Accountability Office, Overseas Contingency Operations: OMB and
76Ibid.
77Ibid.
For the longer term, this budget supports gradually phasing out the separate Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism designation for both military and civilian activities, and assumes a transition to base budget funds in the future. While this budget fully supports OCO/GWOT efforts and sufficient funding to execute contingency missions, funding provided in the OCO/GWOT budget will take place 18 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on
VETERANS BENEFITS AND SERVICES
Function Summary
Americans' respect for those who serve the Nation in its armed forces is reflected partly through bipartisan support for service veterans. This support follows a long tradition that can be traced as far back as 1636, when the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony were fighting the Pequot Indians. "The Pilgrims passed a law that stated that disabled soldiers would be supported by the colony. Later, the
78Department
On
79Ibid.
After World War II, with an immense wave of veterans returning home,
80Ibid.
Today the Department offers an array of assistance to veterans and their families, and provides its range of benefits through three agencies: the
The
81Public Law 113-146.
For fiscal year 2018, the budget resolution calls for discretionary spending of
82Public Law 111-81.
The Challenge of Veterans' Health Care and Benefits Programs
The Federal Government's obligation to veterans is to assist in their readjustment into society and to help them overcome any significant barriers that may have arisen as a consequence of their military service.83 After many decades of trial and error, the government has developed a reasonably successful
83Clarence Adamy,
84Ibid.
85Ibid.
86Government Accountability Office,
The Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act set in motion an examination of the underlying causes of failures of the
87The
Integrated Report, prepared for the
88Committee
Health care delivery and financing have evolved significantly since the Federal Government began providing care to veterans after World War I and it continues to evolve. As stated by the
89Commission
90Ibid.
91Op. cit., Adamy; Nina Owcharenko, Proceed with Caution: The Unintended Consequences of Expanding VA Access,
92Op. cit., Adamy.
93Ibid.
94United States Code: Title 38--Veterans' Benefits.
If traditional patterns continue, the magnitude and scope of
95Op. cit., Adamy.
96James
97Committee
98Op. cit., Adamy;
The Way Forward
Reducing moral hazard on the part of government agencies and program beneficiaries is one of many ways to improve
99Ibid.
Additionally, as large number of veterans age, they become entitled to Medicare. Some veterans also qualify for Medicaid based on income. Based on the 2014 survey results, VHA reported that 78 percent of veterans enrolled in the
100Congressional
Since 2015, GAO has included the
101Government Accountability Office, Improving the Management of IT Acquisitions and Operations,
102Committee
103Patricia Kime, "Pentagon,
104Leo
105There is a precedent with
Since its creation in 1946, the
106Keith Bell, A Special Study: The Title 38 Personnel System in the
107Ibid.
Without these steps, the consequences will be an increasingly demoralized, poorly equipped, and undisciplined
Illustrative Policy Options
The committees of jurisdiction--the
DISCRETIONARY SPENDING
Address the 'High-Risk' Status of VA Health Care. Every two years, at the start of a new
108Government Accountability Office, Managing Risks and Improving VA Health Care,
109Government Accountability Office, High Risk List,
110Ibid.
111Ibid.
112Ibid.
Additionally, as the
"Choice involves tradeoffs. Reducing drive times to see a doctor may lead to longer wait times, for example, if it induces substantially more veterans to seek more care. VHA reliance on contracting could also have unintended consequences for already underserved communities. Providers in such communities who join the local VHA network may decide to limit the number of Medicare and Medicaid patients they accept into their practices. In other, highly concentrated health care markets, which are increasingly common throughout
113Commission
This budget option calls for the
Reduce Improper Payments. Improper payments--payments made in the wrong amounts, to the wrong people, or for the wrong reasons--have consistently been a government-wide problem (see discussion in separate section of this report). For fiscal year 2016, the
114Government Accountability Office, "
Agencies with program(s) reported as noncompliant with the "Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010" [IPERA] for three consecutive years are required to propose to their committees of jurisdiction statutory changes to bring the program into compliance.115 IPERA compliance review serves as a critical tool to ensure taxpayer dollars are not misspent and to guarantee Federal agencies are proactive in addressing program(s) with high improper payment error rates.116 This budget option recommends the
115Public Law 111-204
116Nicholas Pacifico, Federal Improper Payments Are Significant, Costing Taxpayers Billions, Project on Government Oversight,
117Public Law 111-204.
Sunset Advisory Committees. Federal advisory committees are defined as "any committee, board, commission, council, conference, panel, task force, or other similar group" that dispenses "advice or recommendations" to the President and/or Cabinet Secretaries.118
118Public Law 92-463.
119U.S.
120Public Law 114-92.
121Ibid.
122Ibid.
To ensure advisory committees are not inefficient or duplicative of
123U.S.
Consolidate Transition Assistance Program Goals, Plans, Success Program. Redundant Federal programs are leading to millions, if not billions, in wasteful spending. At a time of increased budget pressure, American taxpayers cannot afford to keep buying the same service twice. The Transition Assistance Program Goals, Plans, Success Program [TAP GPS] is designed to facilitate service members' transition to civilian life and is governed by a working group representing five agencies: the
Continues with Part 4 of 8
House Budget Committee Issues Report on Concurrent Resolution on Budget–FY 2018 (Part 1 of 8)
House considers tapping rainy day fund for teacher pay, retiree bills
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