1
2
3	2004: An Election Year Prediction of nastiest Presidential race since Nixon: will issues be the economy, jobs, homeland security or foreign affairs??? Congress will avoid major issues and use them for political posturing Appropriations bill may be delayed until 2005
4	United States Senate 107^th Congress Democrats 50/49 Republicans 49 Independents 1/2 108^th Congress Republicans 51 Democrats 48 Independents 1 1/3 of seats on ballot 60 Votes for cloture
5	United States House of Representatives 107^th Congress Republicans 223 Democrats 208 Independents 1 Vacant 3 108^th Congress Republicans 229 Democrats 205 Independents 1 All seats on ballot
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16	President’s FY’05 Budget; $2.4T $31Billion increase in discretionary spending of which $29 Billion is in defense and homeland security. Deep cuts in environmental and agricultural programs Makes tax cuts permanent Eliminates or curtails 128 programs
17
18
19
20
21
22
23	Nursing Home Residents Age Distribution: Under 65 years - 8.5% 65-74 years - 12.3% 75-84 years - 32.8% 85 years and over - 45.9%
24
25
26	Social Security/Medicare Shifts Over the next 25 years: Social Security beneficiaries will increase from 40 million to 70 million Ratio of workers to retirees will decline from 3.3 to 2.2
27	FY ’05 Senate Budget Resoln. Floor vote defeated proposed $11B cut in Medicaid Floor voted added $3.0 B for domestic discretionary in health; most other domestic discretionary frozen except defense and homeland security; $421B for defense $80.6B tax cut to prevent phase outs Floor debate, Domenici and Specter
28	FY’05 House Budget Resoln. Caps on approps and “pay as you go rules” Includes 3 year, $27.5B tax cut for child tax credit of $1,000; marriage penalty relief and ten percent tax bracket, outside of pay as you go $401.7B for defense and FREEZE on all domestic discretionary except Homeland S.
29
30
31
32
33
34