About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

GAO-11-921R 1 (2011-09-29)

handle is hein.gao/gaobacfit0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Accourtbility * Integrity * Reliability United States Government Accountability Office Washington, DC 20548 September 29, 2011 The Honorable Collin C. Peterson Ranking Member Committee on Agriculture House of Representatives Subject: USDA's Application of Administrative PA YGO to Its Mandatory Spending Programs Dear Mr. Peterson: In fiscal year 2010, about 80 percent of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) total outlays of about $129 billion was used to fund mandatory spending programs-programs with at least some spending that is controlled through eligibility rules, benefit formulas, and other parameters that are set in law other than appropriations acts. At USDA, mandatory spending programs include the majority of the department's nutrition assistance, farm commodity, crop insurance, and export promotion programs, as well as a number of its conservation programs. To maintain spending discipline over the long-term, the President's budget for fiscal year 2006 proposed a number of changes that would affect the budget process, including having the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) implement a budget-neutrality requirement on agency administrative actions affecting mandatory spending programs. A May 23, 2005, memorandum from the Director of OMB to the heads of departments and agencies provided guidance on a new OMB review process that would apply to administrative actions not required by law that would increase mandatory spending.1 As directed by the memorandum, in submitting to OMB for review such proposed actions, agencies must include one or more proposals for other administrative actions to be taken by the agency that would comparably reduce mandatory spending. This process for controlling spending is referred to as administrative pay-as-you-go (PAYGO). OMB's memorandum defines an increase in mandatory spending as an increase relative to the projection in the President's most recent budget or mid-session review of what is required, under current law, to fund mandatory spending programs. Administrative actions subject to administrative PAYGO include regulations, demonstrations, program notices, guidance to states or contractors, or other similar actions not required by law that would increase mandatory spending. Among other things, the memorandum states the following: GAO-11-921R USDA's Application of Administrative PAYGO 1OMB, Budget Discipline for Agency Administrative Actions, M-05-13 (Washington, D.C.: May 23, 2005).

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most