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Public Investment

H.R. 5376, Build Back Better Act: Budgetary Effects

Last week, the House Committee on Rules issued updated reconciliation legislation as H.R. 5376, Build Back Better Act (available here). PWBM estimates that the proposal would cost $2.1 trillion, offset by $1.8 trillion in new revenues and other savings.

In order to provide additional context as part of the current reconciliation debate, PWBM has also estimated an illustrative scenario where all spending and revenue provisions in the Build Back Better Framework are permanent. These estimates are neither PWBM’s estimate of any current legislation nor PWBM’s estimates of the Build Back Better Framework released by the House of Representatives. PWBM estimates that making all provisions of the proposal permanent would cost an additional $2.5 trillion.

White House Build Back Better Framework, Illustrative Permanent Scenario

In order to provide additional context as part of the current reconciliation debate, PWBM has estimated a scenario where all spending and revenue provisions in the Build Back Better Framework are permanent. The table below reflects this alternative. These estimates are neither PWBM’s estimate of any current legislation nor PWBM’s estimates of the Build Back Better Framework released by the White House.

The Macroeconomic Effects of the August 2021 Senate Budget Reconciliation Package

Drafting a budget from the August 2021 Senate reconciliation framework that satisfies the Senate rules of reconciliation (“Byrd Rule”) will require a decrease in new outlays or a large increase in revenues (or both) after the standard 10-year budget window. One such potential reduction in spending would allow the new non-healthcare related discretionary spending provisions to expire after 2031. With this reduced spending in 2031, we project that the reconciliation package will decrease GDP by 4.0 percent in 2050. Without this spending decrease (and where the Byrd Rule is not satisfied), we project a 4.8 percent fall in GDP in 2050. For more information, please see our full analysis.

Economic Effects from Preschool and Childcare Programs

By 2051, we find that a combination of targeted preschool and targeted childcare programs increase GDP by 0.1 percent relative to current policy, even if deficit financed. Universal versions of these programs are more costly and would instead reduce GDP by 0.2 percent by 2051. For more information, please see our full analysis.

The Biden Platform

Presidential candidate Joe Biden’s campaign has released a substantial list of policy proposals. PWBM finds that over the 10-year budget window 2021 – 2030, the Biden platform would raise $3.375 trillion in additional tax revenue and increase spending by $5.37 trillion. Including macroeconomic and health effects, by 2050 the Biden platform would decrease the federal debt by 6.1 percent and increase GDP by 0.8 percent relative to current law. Almost 80 percent of the increase in taxes under the Biden tax plan would fall on the top 1 percent of the income distribution. Please see our analysis of the estimate for more information on the proposals.

Short-Term Economic Effects of the Trump $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan

We estimate that the anticipated Trump administration bill to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure would increase GDP up to $720 billion through June 2022. For more information, please see our full analysis.

Short-Term Economic Effects of a “Phase 4” Infrastructure Response to Coronavirus

We estimate that a large infrastructure bill would increase GDP by no more than $360 billion per year for 2020 and 2021. Short-run GDP expansion from new infrastructure spending is limited by available projects and likely social distancing measures, and so states could not absorb more than $300 billion per year in new federal aid over the next two years. For more information, please see our full analysis.

The $2 Trillion Congressional Democrat and White House Infrastructure Proposal

The White House FY 2019 Infrastructure Plan

Please see our full analysis.

Options for Infrastructure Investment

Please see our full analysis.