The "Emergency Border Control Resolution" establishes the federal budget for fiscal year 2025, setting spending and revenue levels, and mandating House committees to propose legislative changes to reduce the deficit.
Andy Harris
Representative
MD-1
The "Emergency Border Control Resolution" establishes the federal budget for fiscal year 2025, replacing previous resolutions and setting budgetary levels through 2034. It outlines recommended levels and amounts for federal revenues, budget authority, outlays, deficits, and debt. The resolution instructs House committees to propose legislative changes to either increase or reduce the deficit by specific amounts. It also sets a policy to restore federal spending to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, adjusted to protect Social Security, Medicare, and debt service obligations.
Emergency Border Bill Sets Sweeping 10-Year Budget, Orders Spending Cuts: Targets Pre-COVID Levels
The "Emergency Border Control Resolution" is, surprisingly, more about the entire federal budget than just border security. This resolution sets the budget for fiscal year 2025 and gives us a roadmap all the way to 2034. It projects some serious numbers – like federal revenue starting at $3.859 trillion in 2025 and climbing to $5.860 trillion by 2034 (SEC. 101). But it also forecasts massive deficits, peaking at over $2 trillion in 2033. The national debt? It's projected to balloon to over $56 trillion by 2034 (SEC. 101).
Spending Breakdown: Winners and Losers?
The bill breaks down spending across every major government function (SEC. 102). National Defense gets a hefty chunk, starting at $888 billion in 2025 and rising to over $1.1 trillion by 2034. Healthcare and Medicare also see significant increases over the decade. But here's the catch: the resolution calls for overall federal spending to return to pre-COVID levels, after accounting for Social Security, Medicare, and existing debt (SEC. 301). This could mean cuts elsewhere, potentially impacting everything from education to transportation.
Committee Crunch Time
Here's where things get interesting. Several House committees have until February 27, 2025, to propose specific law changes that slash the deficit (SEC. 201). The Education and Workforce Committee, for instance, needs to find $246.8 billion in cuts between 2025 and 2034. Energy and Commerce is on the hook for $200 billion. Imagine a small business owner waiting to see if a crucial grant program survives these cuts – that's the kind of real-world impact we're talking about. The Judiciary Committee has two separate directives: find $10 billion in cuts, and propose changes that could increase the deficit by up to $50 billion in the short term (2025-2028), presumably related to the "emergency" border provisions. Meanwhile, Ways and Means must find $24.5 billion in cuts, but also, increase the statutory debt limit by $4 trillion.
The Big Picture (and Potential Problems)
The resolution claims the US is in a "severe fiscal crisis" (SEC. 301). It aims to get spending back in line with pre-pandemic levels, adjusted for certain obligations. This means that many programs, potentially those that expanded or were created during the pandemic, could be on the chopping block. The bill projects outlays of $5.499 trillion in fiscal year 2025, rising to $7.922 trillion in 2034, with a projected debt of $37.105 trillion in 2025, rising to $56.056 trillion in 2034. The open question is which programs and services will face cuts to meet these targets. The bill's broad scope and the directives to various committees mean a lot is about to be on the table, with potential ripple effects across the country.