Study: Boxer Would Boost, Fiorina Would Trim Federal Budget

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As Senate candidates Carly Fiorina and Barbara Boxer define their differences to voters, one difference can be measured in dollars: according to an analysis from the non-partisan National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF), Boxer's platform would increase annual federal spending by nearly $16 billion annually, while Fiorina's agenda would reduce the budget by nearly $155 billion per year. However, both had significant proposals whose costs could not be readily tabulated.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101022/NTULOGO)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101022/NTULOGO)

"A political campaign is often described as a war of words, but when candidates debate policy, they're often debating dollars," said NTUF Policy Analyst and study author Dan Barrett. "By translating often confusing campaign rhetoric into fiscal terms, NTUF's analysis helps citizens understand how these policy proposals will affect their wallets."

For the study, NTUF gathered information from the campaigns and media coverage on any proposals by the two leading California Senate contenders that could impact federal spending. Cost estimates for these items were verified against independent sources such as the Congressional Budget Office, and through NTUF's BillTally system, which since 1991 has tracked all spending bills in Congress. Findings include:

• Boxer's campaign promises to date would increase annual spending by a net of $15.847 billion. NTUF identified 31 of Boxer's proposals that would affect fiscal policy: ten would increase outlays, one would reduce them, and 20 have costs that were impossible to determine.
• Fiorina's platform would produce a net annual savings of $154.796 billion in the budget. NTUF found 22 proposals she made with a spending effect: five to raise expenditures, five to lower them, and 12 without quantifiable estimates.
• Boxer's platform includes $6.840 billion in Social Security readjustments and $2.704 billion for service members to collect retirement and disability pay concurrently.
• Features of Fiorina's agenda include a freeze on some categories of non-entitlement spending ($108.414 billion savings) and applying unobligated "stimulus" funds to deficit reduction ($40.0 billion savings).

NTUF is the research and educational arm of the 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union, a non-profit citizen group. Note: Cost analyses of the California and other candidates' spending agendas, along with BillTally information, are available online at www.ntu.org.

SOURCE National Taxpayers Union Foundation