March 2, 2011 12:58PM 

# Spending Still Increases with GOP Cuts 

By [Tad DeHaven](https://www.cato.org/people/tad-dehaven) 

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House Republicans engineered a continuing resolution for fiscal 2011 that would trim $61 billion in “regular” discretionary **budget authority** versus fiscal 2010. The Obama administration and the Democratic majority in the Senate balked at the cuts, and a two-week continuing resolution will be passed in order to avoid a “government shutdown” and give the sides more time to reach an agreement.

Based on the Congressional Budget Office’s [score](http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/120xx/doc12075/hr1asPassed.pdf) of the continuing resolution containing $61 billion in funding cuts, and the CBO’s [recent budget projections](http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=12039), both discretionary and total federal **outlays** (actual spending) would still be *higher* in fiscal 2011 versus fiscal 2010.

![Media Name: DiscretionaryGOPCuts.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/download-remote-images/www.downsizinggovernment.org/155835193655/DiscretionaryGOPCuts.jpg?itok=rBtVogcC) 

![Media Name: TotalOutlaysGOPcuts.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/download-remote-images/www.downsizinggovernment.org/155835193655/TotalOutlaysGOPcuts.jpg?itok=rvvX1YVJ) 

Keep these charts in mind the next time you hear or read that the Republicans’ supposedly “major spending cuts” will lead to reduced economic growth and hundreds of thousands of jobs lost.

##### Related Tags 

[Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy) 

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