WashingtonWatch.com Digest – September 8, 2009
Posted by Jim Harper, September 8, 2008 at 10:00 am
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On the WashingtonWatch.com Blog
Yesterday, the WashingtonWatch.com blog finished its overview of the legislative work of the three federal legislators in the presidential race. “Senator Obama’s Priorities” joins similar posts on Senator McCain and Senator Biden, looking at the recent bills introduced by these Senators.
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Featured Items
Congress returns from its August recess this week with much to do. The 2009 fiscal year begins in less than a month, but it is uncertain what spending bills, if any, will be passed by then.
The Senate is scheduled to return to S. 3001, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. The bill authorizes spending for fiscal year 2009 (separate appropriations bills do the actual spending) on military activities of the Department of Defense, on military construction, and on defense activities of the Department of Energy. It also prescribes military personnel strengths.
Passage of S. 3001, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, would cost the average U.S. family just under $9,000.
The House will debate H.R. 3036, the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007. The bill is intended to improve environmental education in schools. Passage of the bill would cost the average U.S. family about $0.22.
S. 3001
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
Costs $8,889.00 per family
H.R. 3036
The No Child Left Inside Act of 2007
Costs $0.22 per family
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What People Think
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Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family.
New Items
H.R. 6064
The National Silver Alert Act
Costs $0.50 per family
S. 642
The Environmental Justice Act of 2007
Costs $0.01 per family
S. 1924
The Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2007
Costs $0.40 per family
S. 2549
The Environmental Justice Renewal Act
Costs $0.89 per family
H.R. 6126
The Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act of 2008
Costs $0.00 per family
S. 2996
The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
Costs $6.57 per family
S. 1911
The TCE Reduction Act of 2007
Costs $0.04 per family
H.R. 6308
The Municipal Bond Fairness Act
Costs $0.04 per family
S. 24
The Perchlorate Monitoring and Right-to-Know Act of 2007
Costs $0.19 per family
H.R. 6545
The National Energy Security Intelligence Act of 2008
Costs $0.01 per family
H.R. 6475
The Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Act of 2008
Costs $0.17 per family
H.R. 6630
To prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from granting authority to a motor carrier domiciled in Mexico to operate beyond United States municipalities and commercial zones on the United States-Mexico border unless expressly authorized by Congress
Costs $0.00 per family
H.R. 6370
The Oregon Surplus Federal Land Act of 2008
Costs $0.00 per family
S. J. Res. 35
A joint resolution to amend Public Law 108-331 to provide for the construction and related activities in support of the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) project in Arizona
Costs $0.00 per family
H.R. 6627
The Smithsonian Institution Facilities Authorization Act of 2008
Costs $0.48 per family
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Updated Items
H.R. 3963
The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007
Costs $1,137.82 per family
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Passed Items
P.L. 110-317
The Hubbard Act
Costs $0.05 per family
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WashingtonWatch.com P.O. Box 77576 Washington, D.C. 20013
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Jonathan
I’m so disappointed that I only found Washington Watch a few weeks ago, because it is really amazing, but I have one major complaint:
I find the use of “cost per family” to describe bills to be vague and prone to misunderstanding. Does “family” mean household, tax return, or 2.49 kids + dog?
And with approximately 50% of households paying $0 in income taxes, the cost for the average family is usually $0, as opposed to “Passage of S. 3001 … would cost the average U.S. family just under $9,000.”
Jim Harper
Thanks for the kind words, Jonathan. Sorry we didn’t get you knowing about WashingtonWatch.com sooner.
Cost per family is the cost per person in the country, divided by 3.14, which is the number of people in the average family. (More info can be found on the “about” page – linked at top and bottom of this page.)
It might be tempting to assume that you can subtract out the people who don’t pay income taxes and get a better figure, but revenues also come into the government from corporate taxes and other levies and duties, some of which are paid by people who don’t pay any income taxes.
Tax “incidence” – exactly who pays exactly what – is very difficult to calculate. We will be working on developing more precise measurements over time as the site grows. For now, cost per average family, person, couple, etc. gives visitors a sense of the amount of spending (and occasional savings) in any given bill.