WASHINGTON (MNI) – The following text is the second and final part
of a fact sheet provided by the White House with details of President
Obama’s plan for deficit reduction that he will outline Monday:

Deficits and Debt

* The Joint Committee plan significantly reduces deficits and puts
the country on a fiscally sustainable path by 2017.

– The deficit is projected to fall to 2.3 percent of GDP in 2021.
By comparison, if we did nothing, the deficit would be 5.5 percent of
GDP in 2021.

– Reaches “primary balance”– where our current spending is no
longer adding to our debt — in 2017. At that point, current spending is
no longer adding to our debt, debt is falling as a share of the economy,
and deficits are at a sustainable level.

* The President’s plan would reduce the national debt as a share of
economy.

– Stable or falling debt as a share of the economy is a key metric
of fiscal sustainability.

– If we did nothing, the national debt would rise to 90.7 percent
of GDP in 2021. By contrast, under the President’s plan, the national
debt would fall to 73.0 percent of GDP in 2021 — or an improvement of
almost 18 percentage points.

Health Savings

* The plan includes $320 billion in health savings that build on
the Affordable Care Act to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid by reducing
wasteful spending and erroneous payments, and supporting reforms that
boost the quality of care. It accomplishes this in a way that does not
shift significant risks onto the individuals they serve; slash benefits;
or undermine the fundamental compact they represent to our Nation’s
seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families.

* The plan includes $248 billion in savings from Medicare.

– Within this total, 90 percent of the savings, or $224 billion,
comes from reducing overpayments in Medicare.

– Any savings that affect beneficiaries do not begin until 2017.

– The plan does not propose to change the eligibility age for
Medicare benefits.

* Other health and Medicaid savings amount to $72 billion.

* Because of the structural nature of these reforms, health savings
grow to over $1 trillion in the second decade.

* The President will veto any bill that takes one dime from the
Medicare benefits seniors rely on without asking the wealthiest
Americans and biggest corporations to pay their fair share.

Other Mandatory

* The plan includes $250 billion in savings from other mandatory
programs.

* Included within these savings are:

– $33 billion in savings from agriculture subsidies, payments, and
programs

– $42.5 billion in reforms to Federal employee benefit programs,
including programs for civilian employees and military personnel.

– $4.1 billion from the disposal of unused government assets.

– $92.2 billion from restructuring government operations and
reducing government liabilities.

– $77.6 billion from improving Federal program management and
reducing waste and abuse.

Revenues

* The President calls on the Committee to undertake comprehensive
tax reform, and lays out five principles for it to follow: 1) lower tax
rates; 2) cut wasteful loopholes and tax breaks; 3) reduce the deficit
by $1.5 trillion; 4) boost job creation and growth; and 5) comport with
the “Buffett Rule” that people making more than $1 million a year should
not pay a smaller share of their income in taxes than middle-class
families pay.

– Tax reform should draw on the specific proposals the President
has put forward, together with elimination of additional inefficient tax
breaks. If the Joint Committee is unable to undertake comprehensive tax
reform, the President believes the discrete measures he has proposed
should be enacted on a standalone basis. Their enactment as a standalone
package still would significantly improve the country’s fiscal standing,
represent an important step toward more fundamentally transforming our
tax code, and serve as a strong foundation for economic growth and job
creation.

– To advance this debate, the President is offering a detailed set
of specific tax loophole closers and measures to broaden the tax base
that, together with the expiration of the high-income tax cuts, would be
more than sufficient to hit the $1.5 trillion target. These include:

* Allowing the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for upper income earners to
expire ($866 billion)

* Limiting deductions and exclusions for those making more than
$250,000 a year ($410 billion)

* Closing loopholes and eliminating special interest tax breaks
(approximately $300 billion)

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** Market News International Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 **

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