Results of CRFB's "Stabilize the Debt" Simulator

 For the period from October 2010 through January 2012


Issue

% Users

% Dem

% Ind

% Rep
Budget Path

Reduce Iraq/Afghanistan Troops to 60k

26

23

26

31

Reduce Iraq/Afghanistan Troops to 30k

70

75

71

59

Maintain Current Troop Levels

4

2

4

10

Renew 01/03 Tax Cuts

7

2

7

18

Renew 01/03 Tax Cuts on Income <250K

13

13

12

14

Renew Lower Income Cuts

22

25

21

18

Allow All Tax Cuts Except AMT to Expire

59

60

61

50

Grow Discretionary Spending w/ GDP

6

7

5

5

Grow Discretionary Spending w/ President’s Budget

20

31

17

9

Grow Discretionary Spending w/ Inflation

74

62

77

86
Defense

Weapons System Cuts

73

85

70

57

Cut Foreign Aid in Half

66

51

70

81

Increase Foreign Aid by 50%

9

14

7

5

Expand Veterans Benefits

31

34

31

27

Reduce Veterans Benefits

24

21

25

29

Cancel Missile Defense System

54

66

53

36

Reduce Ship Building

75

80

74

66

Increase Homeland Security Spending

9

7

8

13

Increase Troop Levels by 46K

5

4

5

10

Decrease Troop Levels, Reverse Grow the Army Initiative

81

85

81

72
Domestic

Rescind Unused Stimulus (ARRA) Funds

65

48

70

84

Enact New Jobs Bill

29

45

25

11

Decrease Highway Funding by 25%

38

29

39

49

Increase Highway Funding by 25%

25

32

23

17

Freeze Average Unemployment Benefits at 2009 Levels

59

46

61

77

Cut Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

24

12

26

43

Cut Federal Funding of K-12 25%

22

8

24

43

Eliminate New Markets Tax Credit

52

40

54

66

Cut School Breakfast

26

13

29

44

Double Funding on Adoption and Foster Care

9

12

8

7

Increase Funding for Education

10

15

9

5
Social Security

Raise NRA to 68

74

71

74

82

Gradually Reduce Scheduled Benefits by 30%

31

20

33

45

Progressively Reduce Benefits, Protect Low Earners

20

22

20

18

Progressively Reduce Benefits, Protect Low + Medium Earners

30

36

29

22

Use A More Accurate Measure of Inflation for COLAs

71

68

71

77

Reduce Spousal Benefits 50% to 33%

40

36

41

43

Increase Years Used to Calculate Benefits

53

48

53

63

Include all New State and Local Workers In Social Security

77

76

76

82

Institute a Minimum Benefit

9

13

9

5
Health Care

Expand Coverage to Additional 5 Million

13

22

11

3

Reduce Insurance Subsidies by 20%

26

27

27

20

Repeal Entire Health Care Legislation

3

1

3

5

Repeal Legislation, Keep Medicare/Medicaid Cuts

28

9

30

56

Increase Cost-Sharing Medicare

51

46

51

62

Raise Medicare Premiums to 35%

42

37

42

55

Establish a Public Option

66

80

63

47

Enact Medical Malpractice Reform

74

72

73

82

Increase the Medicare Retirement Age to 67

65

61

65

73

Replace Traditional Medicare w/ Premium Support

33

18

35

54

Reduce Medicaid Funding, Removing Match Floor

39

26

41

59

Increase Average Medicaid Match from 57% to 60%

7

10

5

4
Other

Eliminate Certain Outdated Programs

88

90

87

89

Freeze Federal Civilian Pay for 2 Yrs

65

59

66

73

Reduce Generosity of TRICARE

45

40

47

52

Reform Federal Retiree Benefits

65

61

65

74

Cancel NASA Missions to Moon/Mars

40

39

39

44

Reduce Farm Subsidies

70

73

69

68

Expand Federal R&D

25

31

24

16

Cut All Earmarks & Half of Savings for Deficit Reduction

82

77

83

87

Increase Mass Transit Funding

30

40

28

16
Revenue

Increase User Fees Across the Board

54

57

52

54

Sell Government Assets

51

45

52

62

Impose Financial Crisis Responsibility

70

76

69

62

Repeal LIFO & Eliminate Oil & Gas Preferences

72

79

71

63

Enact Carbon Tax/Cap-and-Trade

62

79

59

36

Increase Gas Tax $.10/Gallon

52

62

50

39

5% VAT, Partial Rebate

38

42

38

32

Increase Dependent Exemption,$3500

8

8

7

7

Surtax on Income above $1 million

68

81

66

49

Gradually Increase Payroll Tax 1 Percentage Point

43

47

41

38

Raise SS Cap to Cover 90% Earnings

55

61

53

49

Institute 2% Surtax on Wages Above SS Cap

21

22

21

20

Reduce Corporate Tax Rate to 30%

14

11

14

22

Index Tax Code to More Accurate Measure of Inflation

53

57

51

49

Reduce Tax Gap

74

79

71

69
Tax Expenditures

Tax Fringe Benefits as Regular Income

41

45

40

36

Limit Mortgage Interest Deduction & Other Deductions

65

74

64

54

Curtail State and Local Tax Deduction

38

39

38

37

Eliminate Life Insurance Tax Benefits

29

32

28

28

Eliminate Subsidies for Biofuels

51

46

51

61

Make R&D Tax Credit Permanent

22

28

20

18

Extend $400/person Making Work Pay Credit

9

12

8

6

Cut the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

11

14

27

37

Expand the EITC and Child Tax Credit

11

17

9

8

Extend American Opportunity Tax Credit

24

33

22

15

Begin Excise Tax on High Cost Plans in 2013 (Instead of 2018)

21

26

20

15

Repeal Excise Tax on High Cost Plans

5

4

5

7

Replace Employer Exclusion with Flat Credit

38

38

37

45