Budget Issues: Capital Budgeting for the Federal Government

This exposure draft sets forth a conceptual framework for restructuring the current unified budget to include an operating and a capital component within the budget. The restructured budget would identify the revenues, investments, and capital financing needs for capital investments and would clearly distinguish them from current operating amounts and deficits. GAO also proposes that Congress amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to establish separate targets for capital financing, the operating deficit, and total financing requirements from the public.