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Economic Effects in 2014 of Eliminating the Automatic Spending Reductions Specified in the Budget Control Act 1 (September 26, 2013)

handle is hein.congrec/cbo11317 and id is 1 raw text is: CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE                        Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director
U.S. Congress
Washington, DC 20515
September 26, 2013
Honorable Chris Van Hollen
Ranking Member
Committee on the Budget
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Re: Economic Effects in 2014 of Eliminating the Automatic Spending Reductions
Specified in the Budget Control Act
Dear Congressman:
This letter responds more fully to the question you posed at today's hearing about
the economic effects of eliminating the automatic spending reductions specified in
the Budget Control Act. In particular, I would like to correct and clarify the
answer I provided this morning.
I stated at the hearing that eliminating the automatic spending reductions specified
in the Budget Control Act beginning in fiscal year 2014 would increase real gross
domestic product (or GDP adjusted for inflation) by 0.5 percent and increase full-
time-equivalent employment by 600,000 relative to the amounts under current
law. Those figures refer to the averages during calendar year 2014-not to the
effects by the end of 2014, as I incorrectly stated.
Those figures represent CBO's central estimates, which correspond to the
assumption that key parameters of economic behavior (in particular the extent to
which lower federal taxes and higher federal spending boost aggregate demand in
the short term) equal the midpoints of ranges used by CBO. According to the full
ranges for those parameters, in calendar year 2014, real GDP would be between
0.2 percent and 0.8 percent higher, and full-time-equivalent employment would
be between 200,000 and 1 million higher.
By the fourth quarter of calendar year 2014, that policy would increase real GDP
by 0.6 percent and full-time-equivalent employment by 800,000, by CBO's
central estimates. According to the full ranges, real GDP would be between
0.2 percent and 1.0 percent higher, and full-time-equivalent employment would
be between 300,000 and 1.2 million higher.
Although output would be greater and employment higher in the next few years if
the spending reductions under current law were reversed, that policy would lead

www.cbo.gov

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