Budget Blueprint for FY2022: A Federal Budget Proposal | The Heritage Foundation

Policy Proposals

National Defense

Transition the Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools and Allow for School Choice for Military Families

Rebalance the Air Force towards Increased Relevant Capabilities

Reform the Basic Allowance for Military Housing

Increase the Capacity and Capabilities of the Army

Reform Military Health Care

Preparing the Navy for Great Power Competition

Replace Military Personnel in Commercial Positions with Civilian Employees

Reduce Excess Defense Infrastructure

Combine Military Exchanges and Commissaries and Reduce Commissary Subsidies

Cut Non-Defense Research from the Defense Department Budget

Implement Cost-Saving Reforms at Environmental Management Cleanup of Defense Sites

International Affairs

Eliminate Funding for the United Nations Population Fund

Eliminate the African Development Foundation and the Inter-American Foundation

Cut U.S. Development Assistance Programs

Eliminate the State Department's Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia (AEECA) Account

Eliminate $53.6 Million in Programming in the 44 Countries Where Total U.S. Foreign Aid Per Country is Under $5 Million

Reduce Funding and Reevaluate U.S. Membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

End Funding for the United Nations Development Program

End U.S. Funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees

End Funding for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change

Eliminate the U.S. Trade and Development Agency

Enforce the Cap on United Nations Peacekeeping Assessments

General Science, Space, & Technology

Eliminate NASA's Office of STEM Engagement

Reduce and Rationalize DOE Office of Science

Cut and Cap Funding for the National Science Foundation

Eliminate the DOE Office of Fossil Energy

Reduce the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy

Eliminate the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Eliminate the DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Program

Eliminate DOE Loan Programs

Reduce the DOE Office of Electricity

Auction Off the Four Remaining Power Marketing Administrations

Auction Off the Tennessee Valley Authority

Rescind Unobligated Balances from the Enrichment Corporation Fund

Liquidate the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the Northeastern Home Heating Oil and Gasoline Supply Reserves

Natural Resources & Environment

Eliminate the Stratospheric Ozone Multilateral Fund and Reduce Domestic Programs

Reduce Federal Stationary Source Regulations activities and Federal Support for Air Quality Management

Reduce Funding for the EPA's Atmospheric Protection Program

Reduce EPA Grants to Reflect Progress and Actual Risk

Scrap Superfund to Address Defects in Program Design

Reduce EPA Research Programs

Reduce the EPA's Geographic Programs

Freeze Federal Vehicle and Fuels Standards and Certification Program

Transform Water Resources Policy

Eliminate the Land and Water Conservation Fund

Eliminate the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Eliminate the USDA Conservation Technical Assistance Program

Repeal the USDA Catfish Inspection Program

Eliminate the USDA Market Access Program

Eliminate USDA Revenue-Based Crop Insurance Policies

Eliminate USDA Marketing Orders and Checkoff Programs

Eliminate the USDA Sugar Program

Reduce Premium Subsidies in the Federal Crop Insurance Program

Repeal the USDA Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs

Eliminate Section 5 Discretionary Spending Authority under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act

Commerce & Housing Credit

Eliminate Census Bureau Funding for the Annual Supplemental Poverty Measure Report

Eliminate the Small Business Administration

Cut Taxpayer Funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Eliminate the Commerce Department's Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Eliminate the Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration

Reform the Securities and Exchange Commission

Eliminate the Commerce Department's Minority Business Development Agency

Replace Costly Provisions of Dodd-Frank

End the Conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Eliminate the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Program

Close Down the Transportation Department's Maritime Administration and Repeal the Maritime Jones Act

Phase Out Grants to the National Rail Passenger Service Corporation (Amtrak)

Eliminate Subsidies for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Privatize the Transportation Department's Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

Eliminate the Transportation Department's Capital Investment Grants

Eliminate the National Infrastructure Investment (RAISE) Program

Eliminate the Transportation Department's Essential Air Service Program

Transform Aviation Policy

Eliminate Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair

Highway Trust Fund Reform

Community & Regional Development

Eliminate Regional Commissions

Eliminate the Community Development Block Grant

Eliminate the Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund

Reform Federal Disaster Policy

Education, Training, Employment, & Social Services

Eliminate Taxpayer Funding for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Privatize the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Eliminate the Corporation for National and Community Service

Eliminate Funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Eliminate Bureau of International Labor Affairs

Eliminate Department of Labor's Women's Bureau

Bring National Labor Relations Board Funding in Line with Caseloads

Cut the Annual Smithsonian Institution Subsidy by 30 Percent and Cap It at That Amount

Eliminate Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Job-Training Programs

Eliminate the Job Corps

Eliminate Susan Harwood Training Grants

Eliminate Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Eliminate Taxpayer Funding for National Endowments of the Arts and Humanities

Reduce Funding for the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights

Block Federal Spending on Racially-Discriminatory Education Programs in District of Columbia Public Schools

Eliminate Competitive/Project Grant Programs and Reduce Spending on Formula Grant Programs

Wind-Down the U.S. Department of Education

Allow Universities to Cap Borrowing

Remove Cap on Interest Rate for Student Loans

Eliminate Mandatory Add-On for Pell Grants

Place Lending Caps on All Federal Loan Programs

Sunset Head Start to Make Way for Better State and Local Alternatives

Eliminate the PLUS Loan Program

Decouple Federal Student Aid from Accreditation

End Student Loan Forgiveness

Eliminate Federal Support Educational Opportunity Grants

Expand the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program

Eliminate GEAR Up

Put Federal Medicaid Spending on a Budget

End the Enhanced Federal Match Rate to Non-ACA Medicaid Expansion States

End Medicaid Provider Taxes

Eliminate ACA Insurance Subsidies and Medicaid Funding

Eliminate ACA Congressional Subsidies

Reduce funding for the Title X Family Planning Program

Expand Medicare Site Neutral Payments

Reduce Taxpayer Subsidies for Wealthy Medicare Recipients

Harmonize Medicare's Age of Eligibility with Social Security

Consolidate Medicare Physician and Hospital Programs

Modify Medicare Advantage Payment System

Convert Medicare to a Premium Support System

Update Medicare Premiums

Income Security

Eliminate Funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Eliminate Funding for the Community Services Block Grant

Return Control of and Fiscal Responsibility for Low-Income Housing to the States

Reduce Funding for the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

Federal Personnel Reform: Eliminate the Special Retirement Supplement

Federal Personnel Reform: Bring Retirement Benefits in Line with the Private Sector

Eliminate Supplemental Security Income Benefits for Children

Eliminate Funding for the Community Eligibility Provision

Eliminate the “Heat and Eat” Loophole in Food Stamps

End Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility for Food Stamps

Reduce Fraud and Marriage Penalties in the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit

Enforce and Strengthen Work Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Food Stamp Recipients

Eliminate Funding for the Social Services Block Grant

Strengthen Work Requirements in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program

Eliminate Concurrent Receipt of Retirement Pay and Disability Compensation for Veterans

Social Security

Update Social Security's Eligibility Age and Index It to Life Expectancy

Gradually Shift Social Security to a Flat Benefit

Allow Workers to Opt Out of Social Security's Earnings Test

Give Workers an Ownership Option in Social Security

Disability Insurance: Offer an Optional, Private Disability Insurance Alternative

Disability Insurance: Update the Official List of Available Jobs in the National Economy

Disability Insurance: Eliminate the Reconsideration Stage

Disability Insurance: End Direct Payments to SSDI Representatives

Disability Insurance: Eliminate the Medical Improvement Review Standard (MIRS) in the CDR Process

Disability Insurance: Eliminate the “Grid” Qualifications

Disability Insurance: Allow Use of Social Media

Disability Insurance: Apply Administrative Law Judge Reforms

Disability Insurance: Strengthen Continuing-Disability Reviews (CDRs)

Disability Insurance: Shift to a Flat, Anti-Poverty Benefit

Disability Insurance: Establish Time-Limited, Needs-Based Benefits

Disability Insurance: Limit Retroactive Benefits to Six Months, Instead of 12 Months

Disability Insurance: End Double-Dipping Between Disability Insurance and Unemployment Insurance Programs

Veterans Benefits & Services

End Enrollment in VA Medical Care for Veterans in Priority Groups 7 and 8

Cap GI Bill Flight Training Benefits

Put a 10-Year Time Limit on Initial Applications for Disability Compensation for Veterans

Narrow Eligibility for Veterans Disability by Excluding Disabilities Unrelated to Military Duties

Administration of Justice

Eliminate the Legal Services Corporation

Eliminate Grants Within the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs

Rescind Unobligated Balances from the Justice Department's Crime Victims Fund

Rescind Unobligated Balances from the Justice Department's Asset Forfeiture Fund

Eliminate the Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Eliminate Violence Against Women Act Programs and Grants

Rescind Unobligated Balances from the Treasury Forfeiture Fund

Limit USCIS Fee Waivers and Exemptions

General Government

Federal Personnel Reform: Eliminate the 25 Percent FEHB Premium Requirement

Federal Personnel Reform: Tie Pay Increases to Truly Market-Based and Performance-Based Measures

Federal Personnel Reform: Eliminate “Rest of U.S.” Locality Pay

Federal Personnel Reform: Eliminate FEHB Retirement Benefits for New Hires

Prioritize Legislative Branch Spending

Repeal the Rum Excise Tax Cover-Over

Multiple Jurisdictions

Reform the Interior Department

Eliminate the Rural Utilities Service

Eliminate the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs

Eliminate Allocations to the Housing Trust Fund and Capital Magnet Fund

Safeguard Private Pension Insurance and Protect Taxpayers from Private Pension Bailouts

Adopt a More Accurate Inflation Index for Social Security and Other Mandatory Programs

Retain the Hyde Amendment and other Pro-Life and Conscience Rights Riders

Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act

Limit Taxpayer Funding for Government Agency Public Relations and Increase Transparency

Direct Funding to Health Centers not Entangled with Abortion

Stop Paying Federal Employees to Work for Outside Organizations

Changes to the Tax Code

Create Universal Savings Accounts

Repeal Energy Tax Subsidies

Continue Expensing for Investments in Research and Development

Make Full and Immediate Expensing for Capital Investments from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Permanent

Repeal the Death Tax

Index Capital Gains for Inflation

Neutral Cost Recovery for Investment in Structures

Repeal the Research and Development Tax Credit

Repeal the Work Opportunity Tax Credit

Repeal the Tax Credit for Employer FICA Taxes on Employee Tips

Repeal the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit

Repeal the Railroad Maintenance Tax Credit

Ensure the Individual Tax Relief from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is Made Permanent

Repeal the Low Income Housing Tax Credit

Repeal the State and Local Tax Deduction

Repeal the Tax Credit for Orphan Drug Research

Repeal Place-Based Economic Development Tax Subsidies

Repeal Education Tax Subsidies

Repeal the Exclusion for Workers' Compensation Benefits

Repeal Tax Exclusions for Certain Employee Fringe Benefits

Repeal the Additional Standard Deduction for the Elderly

Repeal Childcare Tax Subsidies

Repeal Tax Exclusion for Interest Income on Infrastructure Bonds

Lower the Corporate Tax Rate and Increase the Qualified Business Income Deduction

Explore the Blueprint

Budget Blueprint