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
|