Budget Issues: Budgetary Treatment of Federal Credit Programs

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed its proposal for improving budgeting practices for federal credit programs, focusing on how: (1) it would calculate credit program subsidy costs; and (2) its subsidy estimates would affect the government's reported budget authority, outlay, and deficit totals. GAO also reviewed other proposals by the Senate Budget Committee, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).