The Budget Treatment of Trust Funds
T-AFMD-90-3: Published: Oct 18, 1989. Publicly Released: Oct 18, 1989.
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GAO discussed the federal budget treatment of trust funds, focusing on whether the budget should include Social Security trust fund surpluses in the budget totals that are subject to deficit reduction actions. GAO noted that: (1) the federal budget includes widely different discretionary and entitlement programs as trust fund programs; (2) the government treated trust funds separately until fiscal year 1969, when it introduced a unified budget which included trust funds; (3) debate continues regarding the appropriate budgetary treatment of trust funds, and there has been a proliferation of proposals aimed at removing one or more trust funds from the budget; (4) 1985 budget deficit reduction legislation provided for the two Social Security trust funds to go off-budget, and allowed the Office of Management and Budget to offset a projected $65 billion Social Security surplus, and another $69 billion total budget deficit; (5) establishment of off-budget government-sponsored enterprises has increased since 1985; (6) general, trust and enterprise fund subdivisions to the unified budget could enhance comprehension of the unified budget and subsequent fiscal policy decisions; (7) the government lacks a clear, concise definition of trust funds; and (8) an increase in national savings and investment would enhance other budget deficit activities.
Dec 15, 2020
The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Information on the Spending and Revenue Implications of Potential Debt TargetsGAO-21-211: Published: Dec 15, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 15, 2020.
Oct 7, 2020
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The Nation's Fiscal Health:
A Long-Term Plan Is Needed for Fiscal SustainabilityGAO-21-161T: Published: Oct 7, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 7, 2020.
Sep 23, 2020
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The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Effective Use of Fiscal Rules and TargetsGAO-20-561: Published: Sep 23, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 23, 2020.
Jan 23, 2020
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Federal Trust Funds and Other Dedicated Funds:
Fiscal Sustainability Is a Growing Concern for Some Key FundsGAO-20-156: Published: Jan 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 23, 2020.
Dec 19, 2019
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State and Local Governments' Fiscal Outlook:
2019 UpdateGAO-20-269SP: Published: Dec 19, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 19, 2019.
Nov 14, 2019
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Certificated Expenditures:
Executive Office of the President FY 2018 Certificated Expenditures Were Spent for Authorized PurposesGAO-20-139R: Published: Nov 14, 2019. Publicly Released: Nov 14, 2019.
Oct 16, 2019
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Civilian Personnel:
Additional Guidance and Consistent Data Reporting Could Help Improve the Marine Corps' Budget ManagementGAO-20-148: Published: Oct 16, 2019. Publicly Released: Oct 16, 2019.
Jun 26, 2019
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The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Actions Needed to Achieve Long-Term Fiscal SustainabilityGAO-19-611T: Published: Jun 26, 2019. Publicly Released: Jun 26, 2019.
Apr 10, 2019
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The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Action Is Needed to Address the Federal Government's Fiscal FutureGAO-19-314SP: Published: Apr 10, 2019. Publicly Released: Apr 10, 2019.
Mar 27, 2019
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Fiscal Exposures:
Federal Insurance and Other Activities That Transfer Risk or Losses to the GovernmentGAO-19-353: Published: Mar 27, 2019. Publicly Released: Mar 27, 2019.
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