Notch Reform Bulletin: How Can We Pay for Notch Reform When There’s A Budget Deficit?

Government forecasters recently made dismal predictions of near record budget deficits.  Although deficits create challenges for Notch Reform, they are not a new problem.  At a recent press conference on “The Notch Fairness Act”, Representative Ralph Hall (D-TX) observed that “Congress has the capacity to do what it ought to.”

Indeed.  TSCL estimates the cost of Notch Reform is dropping from $45 billion.  According to the Associated Press, about 1,000 World War II veterans pass away every day. Notch Babies born from 1917 through 1926 supplied the bulk of the WWII fighting forces.  According to the most recent Social Security data, there are about 8 million Notch Babies still alive.  

If passed into law, Notch Reform payments would come from Social Security revenues — revenues that currently are not in deficit.  The federal government is using the Social Security surplus, however, for other government spending.  Notch Reform would require that Congress cut some of that other spending, forego new tax cuts, or offset both with new taxes.

Congress, however, has continued to exhibit an ever-growing appetite for pork.  This certainly was the case for the fiscal year 2003 omnibus-spending bill, which was 13 inches high, weighed 32 pounds, and more than 3,000 pages long.  Representative Jeff Flake (R-AZ) noted that the measure included $90,000 for the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, $350,000 for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and $750,000 for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  “I’d nominate Congress for the Pork Barrel Hall of Fame,” he said, “but I’m afraid the appropriators would actually try to appropriate money for it.” 

Tom Schatz, president of the Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), estimated that the bill could contain $18 to $20 billion in the specially “earmarked” projects.  In just the past three years the federal government has spent more on pork than it would have cost to pay Notch Reform benefits — about $56.3 billion.

Members of Congress take pride in bringing home the bacon for their districts, yet almost all have thousands of Notch Babies as constituents.  We urge you to contact your Member of the House and ask him or her to “bring home the bacon” for Notch Babies by cosponsoring H.R. 97, “The Notch Fairness Act.” 

“Spending Bill Scorned But Is Sure Vote Getter,” Carl Hulse, "The New York Times," February 14, 2003. 

To read more, see “Billions Spent on Pork Projects Would Fund Notch Reform” at http://www.tscl.org/NewContent/101554.asp. 

May 2003

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