CBO: Obama budget raises taxes by $1.4 trillion

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama’s proposed 2015 budget would increase taxes by $1.4 trillion over the next decade compared with current law, the budget agency said.

In a fresh analysis of the White House budget plan for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, the Congressional Budget Office said the proposal would result in a $446 billion spending increase for the 10 years ending in 2024.

The agency projected that under the plan, the U.S. budget deficit would increase over a three-year period and then decline from 2017-2024, compared with current law. Shortfalls would be about $500 billion from 2014-2015 and rise to $700 billion to $800 billion by 2024. The total would be about $1 trillion less over 10 years than under current law.

There’s little chance of Congress adopting Obama’s budget plan this year, as the U.S. House, Senate and Obama have already agreed to a deal on top-line spending for the next fiscal year. House Republicans adopted their own plan that cuts spending further, eschews tax increases and attempts to balance the budget in 10 years.

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Obama’s proposed budget includes several measures Congress is considering separately, such as a revision of U.S. immigration law similar to a bill the Senate passed last year.

That measure, S. 744, would increase the size of the legal labor force, “boosting tax receipts and direct spending for federal benefit programs.” It’s estimated to increase revenue by $456 billion while increasing spending by $298 billion.

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