Other Mandatory Spending
Programs governed by provisions of permanent law are considered mandatory spending. Put another way, spending on most mandatory programs is essentially on “autopilot” unless policymakers change the laws governing the program. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are the largest mandatory programs, but there are also other mandatory spending programs. Those include support for lower-income families, unemployment benefits, veterans’ pensions and other benefits, student loans, crop insurance, and federal civilian and military retirement benefits.
Comparison Table
Comparison of Other Mandatory Spending Policy Proposals
Summary: How the Proposed Other Mandatory Spending Plans Compare
CAP, EPI, and PPI propose significant investments in other mandatory spending; some of the options included by one or more of those organizations' plans are universal childcare, high-quality early childhood education, and paid family leave. CAP and EPI would finance the paid leave program via a new payroll tax. Other proposals would bolster income security programs such as unemployment insurance (CAP and EPI), veterans’ income security (MI), and housing choice vouchers (PPI).
Four organizations (AAF, BPC, MI, and PPI) propose reducing agricultural subsidies. MI would reform federal pension programs, and AAF and BPC would reform TRICARE (the healthcare program for service members and their families) in some manner.
Student loans are addressed by six organizations. BPC would eliminate subsidized federal student loans and instead increase funding for Pell grants. MI consolidates student loans and income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, and PPI reforms those IDR plans. AAF limits forgiveness of graduate student loans by increasing payments and extending the repayment timeline. CAP would incorporate the Administration's original plan for student debt relief that the Supreme Court struck down as well as fund free community college; EPI would add spending to make college more affordable.
Further Reading
Budget Basics: Unemployment Insurance Explained
The Unemployment Insurance program is a key counter-cyclical tool to help stabilize the economy and speed recovery during downturns or crises.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Student Loan Forgiveness?
Currently, more Americans owe a greater average amount of student debt than at any time in U.S. history.
Spending on Veterans in the Budget
This piece examines spending on veterans within the budget and outlines the factors that have pushed it higher in recent years.