Question 1

1. How would the initial $10 billion appropriation be scored?

theartofscorekeeping_wnhcmp · Accepted Answer

The $10 billion would be scored against the bill in which it is enacted. The 2020 Budget proposes to enact it in authorizing legislation, in which case it would be scored as a PAYGO cost.

Question 2

2. Would funding for a new capital project be scored against the discretionary caps or as a PAYGO cost?

theartofscorekeeping_wnhcmp · Accepted Answer

Section 8(a) of the proposed legislation classifies purchase transfers from the revolving fund as mandatory and directs that the amounts not be scored as either a PAYGO or discretionary cost. The justification for scoring no cost is that the costs of new capital projects are implicitly assumed in the baseline as a result of the original $10 billion mandatory appropriation and the annual repayments to the revolving fund. Using balances in the revolving fund to finance capital projects should not be scored a second time for budget enforcement purposes.

Question 3

3. What if future appropriations Acts fail to fund repayments to the revolving fund?

theartofscorekeeping_wnhcmp · Accepted Answer

Section 8(d) of the proposed legislation requires OMB and CBO to score a cost equal to the required repayments against the discretionary cap. The revolving fund is not intended to be a free lunch. The repayments make the revolving fund a permanent source of funding for future capital projects.

Question 4

4. Would a rescission of money in the revolving fund be scored as a CHIMP (discretionary offset)?

theartofscorekeeping_wnhcmp · Accepted Answer

No, section 8(c) requires the language to be scored as a PAYGO savings, not as a discretionary offset that can be used to increase discretionary funding for other purposes. The revolving fund is intended to be a permanent source of funding for capital projects, not for other purposes.

Question 5

5. Would language in an appropriations Act that authorizes a transfer or reprogramming of a purchase transfer be scored as a CHIMP?

theartofscorekeeping_wnhcmp · Accepted Answer

No, section 8(e) of the proposed legislation requires the language to be scored as discretionary cost. The revolving fund is intended to be a permanent source of funding for capital projects, not for other purposes.

Question 6

6. Would language in an appropriations Act that rescinds any amount of an approved purchase transfer be scored as a CHIMP?

theartofscorekeeping_wnhcmp · Accepted Answer

No, section 8(c) requires the language to be scored as a PAYGO savings, not as a discretionary offset that can be used to increase discretionary funding for other purposes. The revolving fund is intended to be a permanent source of funding for capital projects, not for other purposes.

Question 7

7. Would language in an appropriations Act that reduces the annual limit on new purchase transfers be scored as a CHIMP?

theartofscorekeeping_wnhcmp · Accepted Answer

No, section 8(c) of the proposed legislation requires the language to be scored as a PAYGO savings, not as a discretionary offset that can be used to increase discretionary funding for other purposes. The revolving fund is intended to be a permanent source of funding for capital projects, not for other purposes.

Question 8

8. Can't a future Congress override the scoring rules included in the proposed legislation?

theartofscorekeeping_wnhcmp · Accepted Answer

Yes, it is next to impossible for one Congress to completely bind a future Congress. However, including the scoring rules in the legislation makes it more difficult for a future Congress to override the rules because CBO follows the rules in place when it scores legislation, not any new rules included in the legislation being scored. Therefore, CBO would likely score a significant cost to future legislation that overrides the scoring rules.

Scoring Questions